It seems as I get older, more and more of my friends struggle with heart issues like high blood pressure, blocked arteries, and heart attacks.  Face it, your heart is pretty important to living life!  Some of my friends have had to change their diet extremely.  One of my friends quoted his doctor saying, “If it tastes good, you CAN’T have it!!”  Wow!  His doctor echoes the feelings of a lot of people I run into, who can’t believe the food I have to eat is still yummy.  Eating healthy can be extremely great-tasting!  If you want to keep your ticker ticking longer, with less strain, you can start incorporating some heart healthy foods into your daily or weekly regimen.  Remember, baby steps…

Salmon

One of the foods we can start eating more of is salmon.  The American Heart Association advises eating salmon and other omega-3 rich foods twice a week for benefits that go beyond heart health.  Salmon is very easy to obtain and cook.  My favorite way to have it is grilled, but you can microwave, bake, or steam salmon.  If you like sushi, you can get salmon raw in your favorite rolls. Put some lox on your bagels!  The summer is a GREAT time to get salmon, and there are many varieties to choose from.  Two varieties popular in North America are the Chinook (King Salmon), and the Sockeye.  King Salmon are HUGE and are caught mainly in the the Northwest.  Some people say the Sockeye Salmon is the best eating salmon, but whichever you choose, be sure to get the ones caught in the wild and not farmed.  They are the best for us.  Salmon is very versatile and leftovers (if you actually have any!!) can be thrown into salads, corn chowders, pasta, etc.  Keep reading for a recipe!

Spinach

Another great heart healthy food is spinach.  Before you go all Popeye on me, I’m not really referring to canned spinach, which I know some people prefer, but to the raw stuff that to me, tastes better.  😉  Spinach is one of those “super-foods”. Its rich, dark color comes from the multiple phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals (especially folate and iron) that also fight disease, protect against heart disease, and preserve your eyesight.  Spinach cooks up very quickly, and if you add a little garlic, butter, and wine, you’ll have a very tasty dish.  Try buying some raw baby spinach and throw a handful into your next salad, or use spinach in your sandwiches and wraps.  Lots of ways to incorporate more spinach, including blending it into smoothies with fruit!

Blueberries

Blueberries are at the top of the list of disease fighting foods because they contain anthocyanins, the antioxidant responsible for their dark blue color.  My children call them, “Nature’s candy”, primarily for their sweetness and ease of eating.  Blueberries are available all year round and can be thrown in almost anything, from salads, to smoothies, to pies.  They are very versatile!

Ok, here’s a recipe for a dinner (or lunch) utilizing these three in one meal.  Imagine how healthy that will be!  (AND tasty!!)

Grilled Salmon

• Salmon filets, skin-on
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon wedges

1. Heat a grill to medium-high (you can hold your hand about 1 inch above the cooking grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
2. Meanwhile, prepare the salmon filet(s). Rinse them and pat the dry. Remove any pin bones (you can pull these out with tweezers or pliers). Brush the skin with oil. Sprinkle the flesh side with salt and pepper.
3. Brush the cooking grate with oil. Place the salmon, skin-side-down, on the grill and cover. Cook, undisturbed, until the salmon just starts to release (some might say “ooze”) its fat (opaque mayonnaise-y stuff) and/or the flesh flakes easily, 10 to 15 minutes for most 1-inch-thick filets. Allow another 10 minutes for each extra inch of thickness. Use a spatula to remove the fish from grill and serve, with lemon wedges or other garnish, immediately.

While your salmon is cooking, make this:

Sauteed Spinach

• Fresh spinach
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• Pat of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• (optional) a bit of white wine

Heat the olive oil in the pan along with the butter.  When the butter melts, add the garlic, (wine), and spinach.  Cover the pan for a minute or so until the spinach leaves start to wilt.  Stir everything together, sprinkle salt and pepper on top and serve.

Generally, I throw some Parmesan cheese on top, but you don’t need to.  Plate the spinach, rest the salmon filet on top, squeeze some lemon juice on top and enjoy!  For dessert, have a small bowl of blueberries, and voila! You’ve just eaten a VERY healthy and YUMMY meal, which only took about 15- 20 minutes to prepare.