Heart Disease

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(iii) Munch Healthy Snacks – If you can’t avoid 2-3 large meals, the next best thing is to munch a carrot or an apple or anything healthy and nutritious between meals. Other good snacking options include oatcakes and low-fat soft cheese, a handful of unsalted whole-nuts, vegetable sticks, low-fat or fat-free yoghurt and berries. Snacking can actually help you lose weight. Snacking prevents you from becoming too hungry. The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat. Also it will keep your energy/sugar levels stable and your metabolism stoked.
(iv) Eat Light Dinner Early – Research has proved that you can lose weight simply by eating a substantial breakfast, a moderate lunch and light dinner. It is best to eat your dinner at least 2½ -3 hours before your bed time to enjoy good sleep and store less calories.
(v) Eat More Plant-based Food – Of the three major macronutrients, protein, carbohydrates and fat; protein requires the most energy to digest. Hence, it is less likely to be stored as fat and will help you build metabolically active muscle mass. Carbohydrates from wholegrains also use more energy for digestion, boosts metabolism and have fewer calories for the same weight of fat.
(vi) Drink a Cup or Two of Green Tea or Coffee – Coffee and tea (especially green) are known to boost metabolism. However, never overdo on caffeine because of its undesirable side effects also. Green tea has less caffeine than coffee, hence green tea is known to stimulate metabolism longer and more effectively than coffee.
(vii) Include Herbs and Spices in the Diet – Herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger stimulate the rate at which food is broken down and promote weight loss. There is evidence that spices, especially chillies, can raise the metabolic rate considerably for up to 3 hours after you have eaten a moderately spicy meal.
(viii) Ditch Sugar – Sugar is zero-nutrient and high empty calories. When you eat sugar or foods laden with sugar, you throw your metabolic switch into fast fat storage mode.
(ix) Drink Water – Drink at least 8-10 glasses (2½ – 3 litres) of water/liquid (more if you are obese, exercise and in hot weather) at regular intervals throughout the day. Your metabolism needs plenty of water to function properly. Staying well hydrated is essential to flushing the body of toxic waste products that are released when fat is burnt.
(x) Avoid Alcohol – Alcohol is loaded with calories, excess of it suppresses digestion and metabolism, stimulates appetite leading to overeating, all of which promote fat storage/weight gain leading to many ailments including heart disease.