HEART Matters - KNOW YOUR FOODS

HEART MATTERS  -  KNOW YOUR FOODS

GREEN LIST (FOODS & SUPPLEMENTS YOU SHOULD TAKE)

1. Cacao/ Cocoa drink or dark chocolate

2. Green Tea (approx 2 - 3 cups a day)

3. Raw Garlic (4 - 5 cloves a day)

4. Raw Turmeric (approx 3 - 4 gm a day) along with Black Pepper. (Those who are on Blood Thinner drugs should avoid taking this).

5. Triphala (500 mg a day)

6. Fish oil/ Cod liver oil (approx 1 gm a day)

7. B-Complex Vitamins (especially for Vegetarians)

8. Vitamin D3 (1000 IU a day)

9. Walnuts, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, Pecans, Peanuts, Flaxseeds, Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds and other seeds (approx 25 gm a day) (watch out for Aflatoxins in nuts, especially in peanuts) (large servings of pumpkin seeds may cause constipation or fecal impaction for some people)

10. Beetroots

11. Pomegranate

12. Cucumber

13. Watermelon

14. Blueberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Cranberries

15. Indian Gooseberry (Amla) 

16. Spinach, Lettuce, Kale, Artichoke, Arugula, Bok choy, Swiss chard, Celery, Moringa fresh leaves and other Leafy Greens

17. Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Tomatoes, carrots, asparagus

18. Avocados, apples, peaches, pears, oranges (and other citrus fruits) and grapefruit (grapefruit may interfere with some medications, please check)

19. Fish like Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines and Tuna (watch out for mercury in fish)

20. Soy beans, black Beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, Lentils, and other legumes, tofu

21. Barley, steel cut oats, quinoa, basmati brown rice, millets

22. Spices like cayenne pepper, red and yellow bell pepper, clove, Ceylon cinnamon

ORANGE LIST (FOODS YOU MAY TAKE WITHIN LIMITS) 

1. White rice/ idli rice (upto 150 gm a day) OR refined wheat chappati, paratha ( upto 160 gm a day).

2. Milk (upto 75 ml a day)

3. Sugar (upto 5 teaspoons a day)

4. Coffee or Tea (2 to 3 cups a day with sugar and milk included within the above mentioned limits)

5. Cold pressed Sesame oil/ Olive oil (upto 20 ml a day)

6. Egg yolks (limits apply for those with LDL cholesterol > 150 mg/dL)

7. Chicken, turkey, lean meat, shrimps, prawns (limits apply for those with LDL cholesterol > 130 mg/dL)

8. Butter/ ghee/ cheese/ coconut/ coconut oil (limits apply for those with LDL cholesterol > 130 mg/dL)

9. Alcohol (Less than one standard drink a day - 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits) You should stop drinking alcohol if your abdomen Ultrasound has shown signs of Fatty Liver and/or if you have Prediabetes/ Diabetes.

RED LIST (FOODS YOU MUST AVOID) 

1. All foods made out of maida, like naan, parotta

2. All bakery goods, white bread, puff, pizza etc.,

3. Biscuits, cookies etc.,

4. Cakes, brownies, ice creams etc.,

5. Potato chips, packaged snacks etc.,

6. All packaged ready-to-eat foods containing simple carbs, oils, fats

7. All instant food products like Maggi noodles, corn flakes etc.,

8. Indian sweets

9. Soda, sugary drinks like Coke

10. Red meat and Processed meat, beef, pork, sausages, bacon, hot dogs etc., 

11. Poultry with skin

12. Shortening, margarine, vanaspati and other hydrogenated fats

13. Deep fried foods

14. Saturated vegetable oils, processed vegetable seed oils (like Gold Winner & Fortune)

The Five-Two Diet Plan

Those who cannot strictly follow the Green List Diet every day may follow the Five-Two Diet Plan. In this plan, you eat only the foods in the Green List and some foods in the Orange List for five days and the next two days are your cheat days, you eat anything you want. You repeat the cycle.

Healthy Eating Practice

Every day your Eating Window should be less than 10 hours and your Fasting Window should be 14 hours or more. Fasting Window would mean taking nothing except water. Also, you should not have snacks containing carbs or sugary drinks in between meals. If you like to have some snacks in between meals eat a low fructose fruit or some nuts. This pattern of eating will keep your Insulin levels low. High Insulin level is a major risk factor for Coronary Artery Disease, about which I will discuss later.