46
VOLUME 11 NUMBER 1 • MARCH 2014
NEWS
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
‘S
imple and consistent changes to our
lifestyle can reduce our risk of heart
disease’, says former president of the
Association for Dietetics in South Africa,
Berna Harmse. ‘As South Africans, we should
be more aware of cholesterol and heart
health in general, as we have a very high
incidence of heart disease in our country.’
According to Heart & Stroke Foundation
South Africa, every hour in South Africa, five
people have heart attacks, 10 have strokes
and 10 people die from heart disease and
stroke. Sadly, 80% of these deaths in
individuals under the age of 60 years are
preventable through a healthy, balanced
diet, regular exercise and avoiding smoking.
These premature deaths are expected by
2030 to increase by 41%.
Thursday 23 January marked the first day
of Flora’s 21-day cholesterol challenge – a
unique initiative to lower the cholesterol of
a whole community. The Overberg town of
Villiersdorp was taken over for the challenge,
which included a three-week educational,
nutritional and physical exercise programme,
to support the town’s residents. The aim was
to inspire South Africans to see how simple
it is to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Harmse, who provided the participating
residents with nutritional counselling during
the challenge, says ‘Food preparation
methods are especially important on our
path to good health – add salt either while
preparing your meals or at the table, not
both. Add as little saturated or ‘bad’ fat to
your meals as possible (in the form of sauces,
gravies and fat while preparing the food).
Flora shares 10 tips for a cholesterol-lowering diet
Try to steam, braai and stir fry, and add loads
of fresh salads and vegetables.’
To provide further assistance in correcting
nutritional habits, Flora shares 10 tips for a
cholesterol-lowering diet:
1. Know your fats: saturated fats such
as those found in butter, full-fat dairy
and fatty meat should be avoided
or at least limited because they can
increase your level of ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated
fats are healthier and can be found in
foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, soft
spreads and oily fish.
2. Choose low-fat dairy foods such as fat-
free or low-fat milk, low-fat yoghurt
and reduced-fat cheese. Use low-fat
yoghurt instead of cream when cooking
or making desserts.
3. Opt for fish and poultry over fatty meat
products, which can be high in unhealthy
fats. Try substituting meat with beans
and lentils.
4. Include oily fish one or twice a week,
such as pilchards, salmon, trout or
herring, which are high in heart-healthy
omega fatty acids.
5. Get plenty of fibre in your diet: swap
white bread and pasta for brown and
wholegrain varieties. Oats, vegetables,
fruit and pulses such as beans and lentils
are also great sources of fibre.
6. Get your five-a-day: eat a mix of fruit and
vegetables to get the vitamins, minerals
and fibre you need. The more colourful
your meals are, the more likely you are
to be getting the nutrients you need.
7. Include plant sterols: these are found
at low levels in everyday foods such as
fruit, vegetables and cereals. But to get
a significant cholesterol-lowering effect,
you need to eat foods enriched with
plant sterols such as Flora pro.activ.
8. Try to use seed or nut oils instead of
butter: oils from seeds and nuts are
rich in ‘healthy’ fats. Switch from butter
to a good-quality margarine, such as
Flora pro.activ, which is made from
these fats.
9. Snack on nuts and seeds instead of cakes
and biscuits. Why not make up your
own mix of seeds, nuts and dried fruit
for healthy snacking at your fingertips?
10. Eat no more than five grams of salt a
day. Experiment with herbs and spices
instead and avoid salty snacks such as
crisps, which are also usually high in
bad fats. These can raise your cholesterol
level.
‘Small changes accumulate and achieve
lifelong health – we are all a work in
progress. Try to limit fast food that is deep
fried and loaded with unnecessary calories.
Adding variety to our diets should be a fun
experience and not take away the joy of
eating’, concludes Harmse.
Although the Flora 21-day cholesterol
challenge campaign was run in Villiersdorp,
Flora invites all South Africans to take care of
their heart by having their cholesterol levels
checked and to participate in the challenge.
To join Flora’s journey to a healthier heart,
simply visit
or
.
Diabetes News
Vickie De Beer demonstrating healthy cookery.
