Cardio prevention food

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the simple principles of the Mediterranean dietary pattern have a highly beneficial effect on heart health, blood vessels, and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as Myocardial Infarction (MI), Heart Failure (HF), and their associated risk factors: dyslipidemia (cholesterol, triglycerides), overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and mental well-being (stress, sleep, etc.). This forms the foundation of clinical dietetics.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

It is recommended in this model to promote a diet rich in:

• Lean and fat fish: hake, salmon, monkfish, cod, mackerel, herring …
• Fresh vegetables: beans, spinach, chard, carrots, peppers, radishes, cucumbers, squash …
• Fresh fruits: apple, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, kiwi, orange …
• Cereals: wheat, rye, oats, barley, quinoa, rice, millet …
• Legumes: peas, beans, lentils, soybeans …
• Good fats such as oils (olive oil for cooking, rapeseed and olive oils for vinaigrettes, walnut oil, hazelnut, sesame, hazelnut, avocado …)
• Fruits and seeds proteoleagineux: nuts, hazelnut, almond, pistachio, sunflower, squash..
• Water: mineral, source, from the tap …

Cardio prevention food limentation in practise

To be prefered

• Lean dairy products: ½ skimmed milk, dairy faisselle, streetwise, Swiss cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, curd …
• All the fish: they are all good !!! To consume at least 3 to 4 times a week, including 2 minimum fatty fish (sardine, mackerel, herring, salmon, anchovies …)
• Starch => cereals (rice, wheat, rye, oats, barley, quinoa …) and cereal products (bread, dough, semolina, rice noodles …): they are present at each meal in moderate amounts if physical activity in the day, otherwise the accompaniment of the protein dish remains exclusively the vegetable
  Do not forget beans and peas (white, red, black beans, azukis … flageolets, blond, green lentils, coral … broken peas, chick …) => 2 times a week minimum
• Vegetables (min. 500g in the raw state / day, ie 4kg / week) and fresh fruit: at each meal. They are essential (recognized for their benefits in fiber and antioxidants)
• Drinks: a bottle of water per day minimum (1.5 to 2L) the least mineralized possible Mont Roucous® type, Montcalm®, Grand Barbier® … (Residue or dry extract at 180 ° C less than 50mg.L-1) , herbal tea, infusion, tea, mate, chicory …
• Vegetable oils of 1st cold pressing (OLIVE oil for cooking, COLZA and OLIVE oils for salad dressings, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame, avocado, capelin, hemp, linen …)
  Notes on vegetable oils: Use exceptionally sunflower oils, grape seeds, peanuts, corn … Avoid mixtures of oils type Isio4® … which are refined. Make your own blends yourself from first cold pressed oils.
• Fruits and seeds proteoleagineux (ses): nuts (Grenoble, Pecan, Macadamia, Brazil, …), hazelnut, almond, pistachio, squash, chia, hemp, poppy, soy … => 1 to 2 handle (s) per day
• Herbs (garlic, parsley, chervil, bay leaf, thyme, savory, marjoram, oregano, sage …), condiments, spices (turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, paprika, ras el hanout, colombo, chilli …)
• Beer yeast or wheat germ: 1 to 2 CàS per day

With moderation

• Cheeses: limit their consumption to one to two servings maximum per day, that is to say approximately 30g to 60g. Privilege A.O.P. (Protected designation of origin)
• Eggs: 4 to 6 units maximum per week
• White meats: chicken, rabbit, veal, guinea fowl, turkey … about 4 times a week
• Red meats: beef (tab, bib, stem, pear, whiting, slice tenderness, fillet, rumsteack, tournedos ..), lamb, mutton (leg of lamb), pork (roast, filet mignon), duck, goose, … Limit to 2- 3 times maximum per week
• White ham or de-fattened ham, uncovered
• Crustaceans and seafood: oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, jobs, langoustines, shrimps … => 1 to 2 times maximum per week
• Sweets: avoid nibbling. Prefer dark chocolate 70% cocoa minimum (40g maximum per day, 4 tasting squares)
• The wine: 1 to 2 glasses per meal maximum, preferably red. Also drink wine as an aperitif to limit the consumption of strong alcohol, if there is appetizer!

To be limited

• Salt: 2g maximum per day, 3 to 4 pinches, preferably with fleur de sel. The best is not to salt at all!
• Offal, especially red (heart, liver, kidney, tongue …): 3 to 4 times maximum in the month, ie 1 time max./week. White offal (rice, tripe, brains …)
• Meats (pâté, rillettes, salami, cricket, sausages, andouillette, andouille …): 1 to 2 times maximum per week
• Animal fats occasionally: sweet butter preferably (200g max / week), standard cream, fat (rather duck fat than goose). No Vegetal® or equivalent, or Astra®. Limit commercial margarines (Primevère®, Proactiv® Golden Fruit, Saint Hubert® Omega 3 and Equivalent)
• Pastries and pastries (chocolate bread, raisin bread, croissant, cakes, pie, …): 1 to 2 times maximum per week
• Avoid all products called « light », « O% MG », « Light » more chemical than natural
• Avoid processed meals prepared by the « Agribusiness Industry » like Findus®, Marie®, Fleury Michon® … and cook your own, even very simply. You will always be better served and less dependent!

As a conclusion to protect yourself on a daily basis

1. Start by eating the foods that protect you, such as fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, whole or semi-complete cereals …
2. Limit those who are high in cholesterol and bad fats: fatty meats, cheeses, fatty red meats …
3. « Smartly grease your diet » => Control the intake of fat (lipids) in quantity and above all in quality: differentiate animal and vegetable fats, of constitution (concealed) or seasoning (visible)

Have a good food hygiene
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Reflecting on his dietary mistakes and weak points
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Change your behavior and habits

Nicolas AUBINEAU
Clinical and Sports Dietitian Nutritionist