No one wants a broken heart this Valentine’s day

Published: 03 February 2011

Cardiovascular disease is the UK’s biggest killer. It is responsible for 38% of all deaths in the UK- that’s one in three deaths. As a disease, it doesn’t discriminate by age – in 2008, it killed 13,889 people under the age of 35 in the UK alone.

Cardiovascular disease is the UK’s biggest killer. It is responsible for 38% of all deaths in the UK- that’s one in three deaths. As a disease, it doesn’t discriminate by age – in 2008, it killed 13,889 people under the age of 35 in the UK alone.

Most people know that a poor diet increases the risk of heart disease. So, as February is National Heart Month, and also coincides with Valentine’s day on the 14th, why not vow to look after each other’s heart by giving your diet a heart health overhaul. Those of you who have pledged the vow “in sickness and in health, till death do us part” – there are simple ways to prevent that from happening.

• Increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables which provide your body with welcome vitamins, minerals and fibre. Fibre reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the body. There’s a reason why vegetarians are at a lower risk of heart disease than meat eaters, according to an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Flour based products are also a great source of fibre. Wholemeal bread contains a high level – 9.8g per 100g and white bread contains 3.5g per 100g. In fact, per 100g, both white and wholemeal bread contains more fibre (NSP*) than apples, apricots, plums and bananas!*

• Reduce your consumption of artery clogging saturated fats and cholesterol. Both wholegrain and white bread contains no cholesterol and only 0.5 and 0.3g of saturated fat per 100g respectively.*

• Wholegrains really are the super food that everyone thinks. White carbs are still of nutritional benefit and should not be cut out completely. However, a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that by eating three servings of whole-grain foods a day, you can significantly reduce your blood pressure. One serving of whole grain (16g) is equivalent to one medium slice of wholemeal bread or one small wholemeal roll.

Start thinking about ways in which you can incorporate more wholegrains into your loved ones diet. A wholegrain smoked salmon (full of heart healthy omega 3s) and reduced fat cream cheese bagel in bed on Valentine’s day morning would be a good start.

Nutritional composition of food, McCance and Widdowson, 2002

* NSP stands for non-starch polysaccharides which are those complex carbohydrates, other than starches, found in foods. They are the major part of dietary fibre and can be measured more precisely than total dietary fibre.