Hearty-Healthy Recipes Can Be Delicious

As unique as one person is from the next, there is one thing everyone has in common — eating.

But for those dealing with heart-related health issues or other challenges, what is eatten starts to take on even greater significance. The key is to find a variety of healthy foods that taste amazing and to do it proactively before the body manifests a problem.

“Some people get really caught up in the idea of ‘super foods’ but really, those foods of most importance are often the ones we give the least time to, such as fruits and vegetables,” said Lucy Sorenson, registered dietitian with the Intermountain LiVe Well Center at St. George Regional Hospital. “The best thing to do is be more consistent in your day-to-day lifestyle, rather than putting so much emphasis on one specific food.”

Still, when it comes to heart health, there are some foods that have proved to be important.

“When you’re talking about heart health, you’re trying to find things that are lower in fats and including things that have some good omega 3 fatty acids such as fish,” Sorenson said.

But omega 3 fatty acids can’t do the job alone. Sorenson reminds clients that everything in the body is connected, meaning it’s important to focus on a diet that is low in saturated fats and trans fats, while keeping an eye on sodium, decreasing processed carbohydrates, processed foods, and processed sugars, as those can have a negative impact on a person’s triglycerides.

“It’s really a whole lifestyle diet approach,” Sorenson said. “You need to look at the bigger picture that includes what you eat every day, your activity level and how you take care of yourself.”

The key for Sorenson is to help people find foods that taste great, are accessible, and leave the person feeling full, without all the things the body doesn’t need. Eating in this way, especially proactively, can be a real boost to a person’s overall health.

“Prevention is always going to be the best strategy,” Sorenson said. “We should all be paying attention before it becomes an issue.”

For more tips to be well, eat well, and feel well, see Intermountain Health LiVe Well.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., www.intermountainhealth.org is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.