Heart health - ensuring the beat goes on

What you eat and how you keep your body in motion are two relatively simple ways to control your heart health.

A balanced diet can increase heart-healthy nutrients while managing your weight, keeping your blood pressure down, controlling blood sugar levels, and lowering cholesterol.

Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes are all good for your heart and try to eat at least two servings a week of fatty fish such as wild salmon, mackerel, trout, and herring. Wild salmon, in particular, is loaded with protein and omega-3 fatty acids that keep arteries from getting clogged, boost the Immune system, bolster eyesight, and even improve mental health.

Eat more foods teeming with mono and polyunsaturated oils and fats (including foods rich in omega-3) such as olive, canola, soy and sunflower oil. Include nuts like walnuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower and flax.

On the other hand, try to avoid deep-fried foods and easy-to-eat snacks like chips, microwavable popcorn, and processed meats like sausage and hot dogs. If you want to add fifteen pounds in a year – a single daily soft drink will do the trick. And ice cream? Occasional use only!

But instead of obsessing about any particular nutrient or a huge list of forbidden foods, it’s really important to relax and remember that food is meant to be enjoyed and savoured. When planning your healthy menu, be sure to include foods that soothe the soul as well as the stomach. Good food can be better than medicine for your health, but we shouldn’t treat it like a daily prescription of nutrients. Those of us who are lucky enough to have an abundance of food from which to choose should respect the real pleasure of a good meal, rather than focusing on calories per minute. By returning to real, natural foods like roasted chicken (with the skin!), or wild grilled salmon with a simple salad and a homemade apple crumble, we are returning to health in a positive and enjoyable way.

We’ve gone wild for Salmon

Fish is one of the best foods for heart health, but unsound fishing practices have upset the balance in the seas and more wild fish stocks are endangered each day. And with a growing number of concerns (political, ethical, and aesthetic) around the farming of salmon, consumers are increasing their demands for fresh, wild salmon.

That’s why Planet Organic has joined the burgeoning membership of Wild Salmon Supporters (http://www.salmonsupporters.com/), an organization of top chefs and trendsetting retailers from across North America concerned about the sustainability of industrial, open net-cage salmon farms and the perilous future of wild salmon.

They’re using buying power to influence consumers and governments to address seafood sustainability and ensure that the salmon farming industry doesn’t jeopardize wild salmon survival. We hope you’ll agree that – like everything we sell – wild salmon is good for you and good for our planet.