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Diet Diva

Get advice on healthy eating, nutrition, and weight loss from expert dietitian Tara Gidus.

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Love Your Heart: Heart-Healthy Eating Tips

By Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N | Published Feb 11, 2010

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Love is in the air with Valentine's Day right around the corner. February is Heart Month and here are a few ways to keep your ticker strong!

What does it mean to eat right for heart health?

Avoid too much saturated fat and trans fat
Eat more soluble fiber
Eat soy protein
Eat antioxidants
Eat omega-3 fats

I did a TV segment on The Daily Buzz yesterday showing viewers a few heart healthy foods to look for. Watch the clip!

Omega

-3s: Australis Barramundi fish. Barramundi is a type if sea bass that used to be just in fine dining restaurants but now you can find it at restaurants and supermarkets across the country. It is not a "fishy fish" with a mild, sweet, buttery flavor. It has comparable omega-3 content to wild Coho Salmon (500-800 mg per 5 oz) which is unheard of for a mild white fish. It also has no mercury, hormones, antibiotics, or other contaminants.

Barramundi is easy to bake, broil, sautee, or grill and they have some great recipes on their website www.thebetterfish.com. Each 5 oz portion has only 137 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and no saturated fat.

Australis Aquaculture has won awards for their sustainable practices which makes this fish also very environmentally friendly to eat. Barramundi is listed in the "best choice" of seafood guides!

Soy: Eda

mame, soy nuts, veggie burgers and other meat alternatives, tofu, and soy milk! I love Silk Van illa soy milk on my cereal in the morning or just to drink by itself or in a smoothie. Each 8 oz glass has 6.25 g soy protein and is very low in saturated fat and contains zero cholesterol. The FDA has an approved health claim for soy that a diet that contains 25 grams of soy combined with a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet may help reduce heart disease risk.

Silk uses soybeans that have not been genetically modified and they beans are harvested whole which helps to maintain key nutrients and flavor. Silk also has responsible sourcing of it's soybeans from an environmental perspective. You can learn more at www.silksoymilk.com