How heart healthy is your family?
Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease and strokes, is the second biggest killer in South Africa, after HIV/AIDS. It’s a reality faced by millions of people around the world and in South Africa every day – women and men, young and old. So what can you do?
The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends the following:
- Firstly, make sure that you ‘know your numbers’ – by measuring blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and body mass index (BMI). Knowing these vital statistics could be the early warnings you need to know if your health is at risk. Book your FREE blood pressure test this September at any Dis-chem Pharmacy
- If necessary, overhaul your diet – eat a healthy, balanced diet, low in fat, salt and sugar
- Exercise regularly.
- Understand and control the stress in your life.
- Understand diabetes and if you could be at risk.
- Drink alcohol in moderation only.
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t take drugs.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet, low in fat, salt and sugar is easy and delicious with these recipes by Heleen Meyer from Cooking from the Heart 2 with Pharma Dynamics.
Try Sweetcorn Fritters, Steak with Mushroom Sauce and yummy pavlova with seasonal berries and dark chocolate.
Sweetcorn Fritters
These are a delicious family treat – the kids will beg for more.
- ½ x 410 g tin whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 x 410 g tin cream style sweetcorn
- 1 cup (250 ml) wholewheat flour
- ½ tsp (2,5 ml) baking powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup (125 ml) low-fat or fat-free milk
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground mixed spice
- ½ small onion, finely chopped or grated
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sunflower oil
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, together in a large bowl.
- Heat a thin layer of the oil in a frying pan. Add tablespoonfuls of the mixture to the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the oil and mixture.
- Drain on paper towel and serve warm as a side dish.
Tips:
- Pumpkin fritters: Substitute kernel corn and sweetcorn for 2-3 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin or butternut. Fry as above.
- Mixed veggie fritters: Replace the kernel corn with 1 carrot and 1 baby marrow, grated. Fry as above.
- Any left-overs are ideal for lunch the next day. Kids will love them as a snack in their lunch-boxes.
Steak with mushroom sauce
Serves 4
- 4 tsp (20 ml) sunflower oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 250 g mushrooms, halved and sliced
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cake flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) low-fat or fat-free milk
- lemon juice and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp (5 ml) Worcester sauce
- ½ tsp (2,5 ml) dried thyme
- 4 x 160 g steaks or chops, all fat removed
- ½ tsp (2,5 ml) salt
Instructions:
- Heat half the oil in a pan and fry onion and mushrooms until tender and browned.
- Stir in flour until absorbed and add milk a little at a time. Stir well to form a sauce.
- Simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Season with lemon juice, pepper, Worcester sauce and thyme.
- Heat rest of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry meat for 5-7 minutes on the one side.
- Sprinkle with half the salt and season with lemon juice and black pepper. Turn over.
- Fry for another 5-7 minutes and season again. Steak or chops should still be juicy when cooked.
- Serve meat immediately with mushroom sauce, butternut and a salad or green veggies.
Tips:
- Serve steak with the Chakalaka sauce
- Remember not to have red meat more than 2-3 times a week.
Homemade pavlova with seasonal berries and dark chocolate
Serves 6 to 8 portions
- 4 egg whites
- 2/3 cup of caster sugar
- 2/3 cup of fat free, plain yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- 1-2 cups of diced seasonal fruit or berries
- 45g of dark chocolate, roughly grated
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 120°C
- Draw a 20cm circle on non-stick baking paper and place pencil-side down on a baking tray.
- Use the electric beater to beat the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
- Add the sugar (one tablespoon at a time), beat until sugar is dissolved.
- Spoon meringue onto the baking paper. Use a spoon to create an indent on top of the pavlova. This will form a nest for the filling.
- Bake on the bottom shelve for 1 hour. Then turn oven off and leave in oven to cool for 3 hours.
- Mix the fat free plain yogurt with the honey and spoon into centre of the pavlova. Top with the diced seasonal fruit or berries and add grated dark chocolate as a garnish.
For more information, contact the Heart and Stroke Health Line on 0860 1 HEART (43278) or email heart@heartfoundation.co.za or find us on www.facebook.com/HeartStrokeSA and www.twitter.com/SAHeartStroke and www.heartfoundation.co.za