Heart Healthy Eating

You already know that eating plenty of vegetables, whole grains and fish is good for your health. But did you know how much these foods can actually help lower your risk of heart disease?

1. One serving a day of leafy green vegetables is associated with a 23% reduction in cardiovascular events.

2. Eat at least 2 to 3 servings of whole grains every day and your risk of having a heart attack may be decreased by 21%.

3. Two servings of fish each week is associated with a 27% reduction in risk of a fatal heart attack.

Eat all these and you may lower your risk of heart disease by over 20%. That equals or exceeds the results of some medications! (If you're already on cholesterol-lowering medication, don't stop taking them without consulting your physician.)

It's easy enough to eat leafy greens – 1 cup of salad greens (dark green lettuce please, not iceberg) is one serving. Then there's spinach, chard, kale, and a variety of Asian-style greens (like Napa cabbage and bok choy) that can be stir fried or used in soups, omelets and casseroles.

Kasha, bulgur, farro, barley, brown rice, quinoa and millet are just some of the whole grains to try. One way to cook them easily is to add them to a pot of boiling water – just like you'd cook pasta. When they're done to your liking, drain in a strainer. Whole grains work as a side dish and as part of a m

ain course. Start your day with half a cup of cooked whole oats and you've already eaten one serving of whole grains!

If you enjoy fish, eating two servings a week shouldn't be difficult. But with warnings ab

out mercury, farm-raised fish and endangered species, it's often hard to know (or to find) the healthiest fish choices. And if you just don't like fish, what are you supposed to do?

For cardiovascular health, fish oil is often recommended, especially if you don't eat fןsh regularly. Fish oil contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which have been found to lower triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with known

heart disease. It may also lower blood pressure and slow the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque.

Dosage varies, depending on your age and state of health, so talk to your health care professional before starting to take fish oil capsules. If you've tried fish oil and stopped because it caused you to burp, store the capsules in the freezer and swallow them while they're still frozen.

Next: Red Yeast Rice for Heart Health?

Baking – How Much Can You Change a Recipe?

I'm often asked if it's possible to substitute oil for margarine, honey for sugar, or whole-wheat flour for white flour in cakes and cookies. Of course it's possible, but the results may not turn out to be very good!

So my answer is "it depends". Solid fats like margarine and butter create a different texture than oil does in baked goods. Margarine contains water, whereas oil is 100% fat, so the measurements need to be adjusted. Honey is a liquid, so it doesn't substitute for sugar without adjusting other ingredients in your recipe. Whole wheat flour gives a heartier taste to baked goods, so you might not want to use it when you're looking for a delicate or subtle flavored product.

Here's the recipe for a cake I baked last Shabbat. The original recipe called for white flour and 1 ¼ cups of sugar. It also called for a larger bundt pan (24cm/9 ½ ") than I had. So I divided the batter between my 20 cm (8") pan and a mini pan that could go into the freezer later for another occasion. Did you know that if you serve a large cake, people are likely to eat more of it than if the cake is smaller to begin with?

The recipe contains flavorful spices and citrus zest, so I felt comfortable substituting whole-wheat flour for all of the white flour. And because most cakes are just too sweet for my taste, I cut back on the sugar by ¼ cup.

The results – excellent! Nobody even guessed that it was made from whole-wheat flour or that it wasn't sweet enough. It's also quick and easy. You'll need an electric mixer, but otherwise this cake goes together in just a few minutes.

Orange Spice Cake (Parve)

3 eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar (white or demerrara)

2 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

(Or substitute one 350 gm package of self-rising whole-wheat flour for the flour and baking powder)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon grated orange zest (preferably organic)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (preferably organic)

¾ cup orange juice

¾ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (optional)

Heat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Spray a bundt pan (see above for size information) with baking spray.

Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed, until they've significantly increased in volume and are light colored and thick.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, orange and lemon zest together in a separate bowl.

Measure the orange juice and oil in one measuring cup and add the vanilla extract to it.

When the eggs are ready, lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour and liquid ingredients to the eggs. Scrape the bowl occasionally and mix to get out any lumps.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 15-20 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan and let it cool completely on the rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.