nosh magazine
EAT LIKE A MAN!
The key to following a healthy balanced diet is not
depriving yourself of your favourite foods. It’s simply
a matter of getting the balance right. Nutrition
expert Joel Feren explains.
re you a bloke who enjoys a shiraz
with your steak? Or nuts with your
ale? Or even a pie at the footy? Well good;
so do I. And I wouldn’t dare change such
ingrained habits, or expect you to either!
A
The principles of healthy eating are not
rocket science. It’s a case of including foods
from the five food groups and minimising
your intake of non-core foods such as
alcohol, confectionery, fruit juice and
baked goods. There really are no hidden
secrets to following a healthy diet. And
there’s certainly no need to cut out sugar,
fat, dairy, wholegrains, the occasional
coldie or to revert to liquid diets or South
American herbal tonics.
Now, we blokes have special needs. Not to
mention particular diseases that afflict us
more than women – one being heart
disease. More men die from heart disease
and stroke than women. According to the
National Heart Foundation, 98 Australian
men suffer a heart attack every day. From a
dietary perspective, a high saturated fat and
salt intake, inadequate fibre consumption
and drinking too much grog will increase
your risk of heart disease. So here’s what you
need to know to cut your risk.
FAT
There is overwhelming evidence showing
that saturated fat is linked to increased
cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol
(the nasty type). A rise in your LDL
cholesterol increases your risk of
developing heart disease as it causes
inflammation and a sticky residue (plaque)
to form inside your arteries. Saturated fat is
typically found in fatty meats and full
cream dairy, but it is also found in coconut
oil and baked goods (due to the lashings of
butter). Opting for low fat dairy, lean cuts
of meat and the occasional pastry/cake are
ways to actively reduce your cholesterol,
and decrease your overall fat intake – a
present for your waistline too. Also, getting
two serves a week of fatty fish such as
salmon, herring (minus the salt), mackerel
or trevalla will boost your omega-3 fatty
acid intake – the good type that helps to
reduce your heart disease risk.
SALT
To refresh your memories from high
school science days: wherever salt goes,
water will follow. A high salt intake has
been shown to increase blood pressure via
this mechanism. Reducing salt in your
diet will ease the pressure on your blood
vessels and reduce the load on the heart to
pump blood around. You can slash your
salt intake by refraining from adding salt
to cooking and at the table; experiment
with different herbs and spices to find a
flavour combination that works. An
example of this is the winning partnership
between tomato and basil. Additionally,
selecting products with a reduced salt
content and opting for fresh over
packaged foods will reduce your intake of
the salty stuff.
ALCOHOL
I’m not necessarily preaching abstinence (I,
too, enjoy a tipple), but cutting back on
your booze will likely improve your heart
health. Aim for a maximum of two
standard drinks, five nights a week, with at
least two alcohol-free days per week. Any
further reductions will be a bonus.
FIBRE
Lastly, you’ve heard the saying that fibre is
your friend, right? Fibre is the stuff in food
that goes largely undigested. It helps to remove
the waste from your insides. But more than
that, it helps to increase our feeling of fullness,
promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in our
digestive tracts and also helps to reduce our
LDL cholesterol. Boost your intake of
wholegrain breads and cereals, oats,
vegetables, lentils, chickpeas, beans and nuts to
get your whack of this essential ingredient.
And don’t forget that Aussie favourite, baked
beans – they’re jam-packed full of fibre and
other goodies too.
So there you have it. There really are no
secrets to healthy eating for your heart and
general health. A simple tweak here and there
can do wonders for your overall wellbeing.
Enjoy that tipple, your pie at the footy and
salty nuts with your brew – just make it an
“every now and then” thing – your heart will
thank you for it. N
Joel Feren, APD
Learn more about Joel at website | profile
Joel is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist with a background in the biomedical sciences. Joel’s main areas of interest
include: heart health, weight loss, Coeliac disease, IBS and vegetarianism. He is a professional member of the Dietitians Association of Australia,
Coeliac Australia and Diabetes Victoria. Click here to find out more about Joel.
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