09/16/2024
The habits that a large part of the population maintains when eating are not benefiting cardiovascular health. An example is our relationship with salt: we consume up to 50 times more salt than primitive man, and this has had consequences. Proof of this is that in countries with a high salt intake, such as those in northern Europe, the rate of hypertension and coronary heart disease is very high. And by contrast, in certain regions of the Amazon where they are unaware of salt, they are also unaware of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. If we do not change our habits, by 2030 it is estimated that 80% of men and 55% of women will be overweight.
That is why it is essential to take care of what we eat and cook it in the healthiest way possible. Experts advise following these three rules to protect our hearts from the kitchen:
Choose the products well in the market
Opt for the products of the season in which we find ourselves, which are at the optimal moment of consumption and provide more benefits; buy as many foods to eat raw as to cook, since according to nutritionists the ideal is for one of the two main meals of the day to be raw and the other cooked; and reading the product labels to choose products low in refined sugars, saturated fats, trans fats and salt, are the basic recommendations when filling the shopping cart.
Follow the plate method
To find out how much of each type of food we should consume, a good idea is to follow this method: if we divided a plate into three portions, so that one of them occupied half and the other two, a quarter of a plate each, we would have to fill that half with vegetables, a quarter with proteins and another quarter with carbohydrates.
Steam, cook or iron
Cooking and steaming help to maintain the properties of vegetables, while frying is the least nutritionally advisable option because much of the value of the food is lost. That is why it is recommended that, if possible, we opt for cooking or steaming. In case we rule out both, it is preferable to choose the grill than the frying. In addition, to take advantage of all the benefits of vegetables, experts recommend short cooking times.
