Heart Healthy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is often thought as going out to dinner, chocolate, candy, and roses. We often forget about the 'heart' being the theme of Valentine's Day. So how about we focus on making our heart healthy. It is important to take control of your health before it is too late. 
    Cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States and accounts for 1 in 3 deaths (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2013). Cardiovascular disease includes hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. 
    The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) or Mediterranean diets are often prescribed for patients with cardiovascular disease. Lowering sodium, saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol is the goal for a healthy heart. There has been a lot of research on cholesterol lately and it's impact on heart disease. The point the researchers are making is the food type that is providing the cholesterol to the consumer. Cholesterol is from animal products and food high in cholesterol include: butter, bacon, shrimp, egg yolk, red meat, cheese, pastries, fast food, and liver. Choosing eggs with egg yolks over pastries for breakfast will provide more protein, vitamin, and minerals than the pastry. 

Recommended guidelines to be heart healthy from Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2014):

• Increase consumption of fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains
• Increase consumption of low fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes
• Increase consumption of healthy fats from fish, nuts, vegetable oils
• Decrease consumption of sodium to 2,300 mg/day or less
• Decrease consumption of added sugar (from sweets, beverages) to 25 g or less
• Decrease consumption of saturated to 5% to 6% and trans fats
• Include a "no meat" day into the week to reduce red meat intake, with legumes, beans, vegetables, tofu
• Increase physical activity to 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate intensity or 30 minutes a day to reduce blood pressure. Stay active and keep moving.  

Heart Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes with

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Stacks

Makes: 4 large hearts or 8-10 stacks

Ingredients:

-1 cup quick oats

-2 eggs

-1/2 tsp vanilla

-pinch of cinnamon 

-1/2 cup almond milk

-Optional: banana, strawberries, dark chocolate

(Pancakes are not very sweet since I was adding sweetness from strawberries and chocolate drizzle; use a 1/2 banana in the batter for natural sweetness)

Directions for pancakes:

1. In a magic bullet or blended, add oats, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, almond milk, and optional banana. Blend until it becomes a batter; if necessary add more liquid.

2. Heat stove to medium heat. Spray skillet with pan spray.

3. Pour batter into heart shaped cookie cutter or make small circles (for stacks).

4. Depending on the size of pancakes, flip pancakes when bubbling starts to occur on top. 

Directions for stacks:

1. Melt dark chocolate.

2. Spread dark chocolate on small round pancakes.

3. Place in fridge to chill chocolate.

4. Slice strawberries.

5. Make stacks: chocolate coated pancake, strawberry, chocolate covered pancake, top with strawberry, and place a tooth pick through. 

6. Drizzle remaining dark chocolate on top.

7. Enjoy!

Start your day with these oatmeal pancakes to provide: fiber, protein, lower in fat and sugar!

Or start your day with eggs and whole grain bread!

Happy Valentine's Day and keep your heart healthy!!

Reference:

      Millen, B., Wolongevicz, D., Jesus, J., Nonas, C., & Lichtenstein, A. (2014). 2013 American Heart Association/ American College of Cardiology Guideline on Lifestyle Management to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk: Practice Opportunities for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol 114 (11), 1723-1729. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.037

      Slawson, D., Fitzgerald, N., & Morgan, K. (2013). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Role of Nutrition in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention.  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol 113 (7), 972-979. Doi:10.1016/J.Jand.2013.05.005