Eating the Rainbow - For My Heart

Trying to keep my heart health in check, knowing that heart failure runs in my family, has been a rude awakening to get my life in order. I think when I was younger I still had a bit of the attitude toward it, that it will not happen to me.

Importantly, as one gets older one gets wiser, learns, and becomes a little more careful when it comes to things like your health. The reality is that it can happen to me and I am not exempt. Over the last while I started walking for my heart health and this is something that I am keeping up. I also made some staple changes in my food cupboards and made healthier choices.

One of the bigger things that I have had to focus on and pay attention to, is eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. This is something that can easily fall by the wayside in a busy life. After all it is easier to grab a slice of bread and make a sandwich than make and chop a salad.

How much is enough?

So how much fresh fruit and vegetables should we be eating a day? This varies from person to person I suppose, I have seen that the average minimum should be about 5 types of fruits and vegetables, and my doctor says that equates to about 3 cups a day. While 5 seems like a low number, on a daily consistent basis, I have found it tricky to maintain.

Also making sure that I get a variety of fruit and vegetables in is quite tricky. I get stuck in a habit and there is no point in not having a variety.

Trying to eat a variety of healthy foods for my heart health

These are my favorite fruits and vegetables to eat, and I choose organic as much as possible. I work out what I need for the week and shop accordingly so that I have everything ready and available. There are so many colors to choose from. Each of the groups bring different vitamins and minerals to the party, and levels of fiber and all sorts of goodness.

Red:

Yellow and Orange:

• carrots
• butternut
• oranges
• pumpkin
• tangerines
• corn
• sweet potato
• yellow peppers
• pineapples
• bananas
• apricots
• gold beetroot
• yellow tomatoes

Green:

Dark Green leaves are my staple for most things:

• spinach
• kale

Other green fruits and vegetables include:

• baby marrow
• broccoli
• avocado
• asparagus
• grapes
• kiwi
• cucumber

Blue and Purple:

• eggplant
• blueberries
• grapes
• plums
• red cabbage
• passion fruit

Brown and white:

• garlic
• onion
• mushrooms
• cauliflower
• litchis
• white potatoes
• white beans

Raw or cooked?

In summer it is more likely that you will find me eating raw fruit and vegetables in salads and snack boards. Winter calls for soups, stews, and more wholesome food. Either way, I do my best to get a good variety of fresh and cooked fruits and vegetables every day.

Improving my heart health with my risk of heart failure

With a reminder stuck up on my fridge, "Have you eaten your rainbow today?" I am reminded to grab a carrot instead of crackers, etc. All these small changes work towards creating better heart health for me. I have spoken to my doctor and he is very happy with the progress I have made to improve my health in an effort to protect my heart.

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