Heart Healthy Diets Q&A with Fern Wilson

We recently sat down with Fern Wilson, The Healthy Deli Head Chef and Manager, to discuss healthy eating for American Heart Month.  According to the CDC, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.  Last week Fern conducted a “Heart Healthy Cooking Workshop” for the community.  As Manager of The Healthy Deli, Fern brings over 30 years of restaurant & catering experience plus the whole foods education obtained from the Intensive Chef's Program at The Natural Gourmet Institute in N.Y.C. 

Q: You recently taught a class on Heart Healthy diets.   Tell us about what is a “Heart Healthy” diet or meal.

A: Heart healthy diets involve omitting saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol while adding more fresh fruits, vegetables, low fat proteins, and whole grains.

Q: What foods in particular are good for the heart?

A: There are lots of wonderful foods for heart health such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, blueberries, kidney or black beans, salmon, tuna, and tofu.  People who eat meat should also focus on the word “loin.”  Substitute tenderloin for a delmonico steak; pork loin instead of pork shoulder.  Loin will get you a leaner meat.  And of course, controlled portions of walnuts, almonds, and even dark chocolate have all been shown to help support heart health!

Q: What are a few healthy habits one could do for their optimal health?

A: The list can go on and on.  However, simple habits are usually the easiest to incorporate to our lifestyle.  Those include getting enough sleep (like your mother always said!), exercise, and having positive social connections.  Having a supportive family or friend base creates an easy transition for any person and the good vibes will provide healthy physiological effects.  The most basic is of course watching what you eat.

Q: What tips would you give to those who are starting to eat more whole foods for their heart?

A: A few tweaks can go a long way.  You can make simple modifications to your everyday foods and see the difference.  Try trading your sour cream for greek yogurt on your baked potato.  Use olive oil, vinegar and blue cheese crumbles instead of the store bought blue cheese dressing.  Simply being mindful when you eat, and savoring the flavor will enable your body to tell you when you are full instead of feeling overfull later after you’ve eaten.  Remember to plan ahead for your meals instead of last minute when most people are more likely to make unhealthy dietary choices. 

To learn more about Fern’s workshop and read workshop notes, please visit http://thehealthygrocer.com/WorkshopResources.html.