There are some risk factors for heart disease, such as our family medical history, which we have little control over.
However, there are many we can manage, such as our diet, smoking, and how much exercise we take.
Having a good diet and eating the right heart-healthy foods are incredibly influential to the overall health of our heart.
A diet filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as wholesome ingredients, is vitally important when trying to support a healthy heart.
If a cholesterol reading is elevated, immediate dietary changes are required
To keep our hearts healthy, it’s important to have our blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly, as high cholesterol and chronic high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease.
If a cholesterol reading is elevated, immediate dietary changes are required.
There are some simple changes that can make a big difference to our everyday diet, such as incorporating more fibre into the diet by swapping white bread, rice and pasta for the wholegrain variety.
Including lots of soluble fibre sources in our diet can help to promote the health of our heart, as research has indicted that soluble fibre can actually reduce the absorption of cholesterol. During digestion, soluble fibre attracts water and turns to gel.
This, in turn, binds together with dietary cholesterol and allows the body to excrete it more easily.
Soluble fibre can be found in foods such as apples, citrus fruits, berries, oats, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), and seeds.
As with any healthy eating regime, it’s best to avoid any sources of trans-fats, which are present in most convenience foods, processed foods and fast foods
Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout, herring and sardines, make great additions to a heart-healthy diet, as they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which, experts claim, may help to prevent heart disease. Cook the fish as healthily as possible, by steaming, baking or grilling.
As with any healthy eating regime, it’s best to avoid any sources of trans-fats, which are present in most convenience foods, processed foods and fast foods.
Apart from watching our diet and taking in regular exercise, one’s mental health can also seriously influence the health of the heart.
The old saying, “what’s good for the heart is good for the soul” can be interpreted in many ways. If something is good for your soul, ultimately it makes you feel happier. Research has shown that stress has the ability to cause as much trouble to our physical health as eating the wrong sorts of food.
Wherever possible we should try to minimise things we can control in our life that cause us stress. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, but once we pinpoint a trigger we can start to focus on ways to cope a little better and hopefully over time our stress will be more manageable and less of a problem. A brisk walk, chatting with friends, and generally just making time every day for something we love will have a positive knock-on effect to the health of our heart.
Fragrant salmon bites with sweet potato chunks. \ Nessa Robins
Fragrant salmon bites with sweet potato chunks
Salmon is packed with vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These salmon bites are deliciously flavoursome, and can be enjoyed hot or cold. They are also delicious served in a pitta with crunchy lettuce, tomatoes and grated carrot. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre. Baking them with a light drizzle of olive oil and some generous seasoning is my favourite way to serve sweet potatoes. They also make for a great accompaniment to the fish bites.
For the salmon bites
450g skinless salmon, cut into chunks
4 scallions, roughly chopped
2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 egg
Juice of 1 lime
2tbsp flour
Handful of fresh coriander, tough stalks removed
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
For the sweet potato chunks
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
To serve
Steamed peas and lime wedges
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7.2. Place the salmon chunks in the food processor and blitz for about five seconds. Add all the remaining ingredients for the bites. Blitz to combine for another five seconds. Carefully remove the blade from the processor.3. The mixture will be quite wet. Using two spoons, transfer small heaps of the mixture onto a greaseproof paper lined baking tray, making 16 “bites”, or if you’d like them a little larger, and more like the size of a fish cake, divide the mixture into eight on the tray.4. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for about half an hour to firm up slightly. 5. In the meantime, make the sweet potato chunks, by drying the sweet potato using some kitchen paper. Place on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the smoked paprika, a little sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Using your hands, toss the potato chunks with the oil and seasoning, then spread out in a single layer on the baking tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crisp. 6. Turn down the heat of the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark six. Bake the salmon bites for approximately 20 minutes, depending on their size, turning occasionally, until golden brown and fully cooked through.7. Serve immediately with the sweet potato chunks, steamed peas and a lime wedge for squeezing over the fish. 
Dried apple chips. \ Nessa Robins
Dried apple chips
Apples are a great source of soluble fibre. Keeping the skin on helps to retain the maximum amount of fibre from the apple. These apple chips are a handy, nutritious snack to have on-the-go.
2 large, red, organic apples
Juice of 1 lemon
700ml water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
1. Wash and dry the apples, and slice them as thinly as possible.2. Place the juice of the lemon into a bowl with the water and add the apple slices. Leave for half an hour. The lemon will help to stop the apples from browning. 3. Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas mark one/two. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Read more
Nessa Robins' guilt-free festive desserts
Nessa Robins: Healthier Halloween treats
There are some risk factors for heart disease, such as our family medical history, which we have little control over.
However, there are many we can manage, such as our diet, smoking, and how much exercise we take.
Having a good diet and eating the right heart-healthy foods are incredibly influential to the overall health of our heart.
A diet filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as wholesome ingredients, is vitally important when trying to support a healthy heart.
If a cholesterol reading is elevated, immediate dietary changes are required
To keep our hearts healthy, it’s important to have our blood pressure and cholesterol checked regularly, as high cholesterol and chronic high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease.
If a cholesterol reading is elevated, immediate dietary changes are required.
There are some simple changes that can make a big difference to our everyday diet, such as incorporating more fibre into the diet by swapping white bread, rice and pasta for the wholegrain variety.
Including lots of soluble fibre sources in our diet can help to promote the health of our heart, as research has indicted that soluble fibre can actually reduce the absorption of cholesterol. During digestion, soluble fibre attracts water and turns to gel.
This, in turn, binds together with dietary cholesterol and allows the body to excrete it more easily.
Soluble fibre can be found in foods such as apples, citrus fruits, berries, oats, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), and seeds.
As with any healthy eating regime, it’s best to avoid any sources of trans-fats, which are present in most convenience foods, processed foods and fast foods
Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, trout, herring and sardines, make great additions to a heart-healthy diet, as they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which, experts claim, may help to prevent heart disease. Cook the fish as healthily as possible, by steaming, baking or grilling.
As with any healthy eating regime, it’s best to avoid any sources of trans-fats, which are present in most convenience foods, processed foods and fast foods.
Apart from watching our diet and taking in regular exercise, one’s mental health can also seriously influence the health of the heart.
The old saying, “what’s good for the heart is good for the soul” can be interpreted in many ways. If something is good for your soul, ultimately it makes you feel happier. Research has shown that stress has the ability to cause as much trouble to our physical health as eating the wrong sorts of food.
Wherever possible we should try to minimise things we can control in our life that cause us stress. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, but once we pinpoint a trigger we can start to focus on ways to cope a little better and hopefully over time our stress will be more manageable and less of a problem. A brisk walk, chatting with friends, and generally just making time every day for something we love will have a positive knock-on effect to the health of our heart.
Fragrant salmon bites with sweet potato chunks. \ Nessa Robins
Fragrant salmon bites with sweet potato chunks
Salmon is packed with vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These salmon bites are deliciously flavoursome, and can be enjoyed hot or cold. They are also delicious served in a pitta with crunchy lettuce, tomatoes and grated carrot. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre. Baking them with a light drizzle of olive oil and some generous seasoning is my favourite way to serve sweet potatoes. They also make for a great accompaniment to the fish bites.
For the salmon bites
450g skinless salmon, cut into chunks
4 scallions, roughly chopped
2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 egg
Juice of 1 lime
2tbsp flour
Handful of fresh coriander, tough stalks removed
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
For the sweet potato chunks
600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
To serve
Steamed peas and lime wedges
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7.2. Place the salmon chunks in the food processor and blitz for about five seconds. Add all the remaining ingredients for the bites. Blitz to combine for another five seconds. Carefully remove the blade from the processor.3. The mixture will be quite wet. Using two spoons, transfer small heaps of the mixture onto a greaseproof paper lined baking tray, making 16 “bites”, or if you’d like them a little larger, and more like the size of a fish cake, divide the mixture into eight on the tray.4. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for about half an hour to firm up slightly. 5. In the meantime, make the sweet potato chunks, by drying the sweet potato using some kitchen paper. Place on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle over the smoked paprika, a little sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Using your hands, toss the potato chunks with the oil and seasoning, then spread out in a single layer on the baking tray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crisp. 6. Turn down the heat of the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas mark six. Bake the salmon bites for approximately 20 minutes, depending on their size, turning occasionally, until golden brown and fully cooked through.7. Serve immediately with the sweet potato chunks, steamed peas and a lime wedge for squeezing over the fish.
Dried apple chips. \ Nessa Robins
Dried apple chips
Apples are a great source of soluble fibre. Keeping the skin on helps to retain the maximum amount of fibre from the apple. These apple chips are a handy, nutritious snack to have on-the-go.
2 large, red, organic apples
Juice of 1 lemon
700ml water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Method
1. Wash and dry the apples, and slice them as thinly as possible.2. Place the juice of the lemon into a bowl with the water and add the apple slices. Leave for half an hour. The lemon will help to stop the apples from browning. 3. Preheat the oven to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas mark one/two. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper. Read more
Nessa Robins' guilt-free festive desserts
Nessa Robins: Healthier Halloween treats
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