Three steps to a healthy heart diet

In 2002 I turned fifty. Blobby, inactive, stressed and not a healthy heart diet in sight. Not a good place for the editor of a health magazine to be in.

I went to see my doctor, Steve, a personal friend with whom I had played rugby a few years earlier when I could still break into a trot.

He wrote a prescription for whatever minor ailment had been my excuse and got straight to the point. He went through the usual stuff about drinking too much, the wrong diet, lack of exercise, the stress of my career, and made me out to be a prime case for hypertension (none of the symptoms of high blood pressure, mind you) and quite possibly a heart attack.

Then he said something quite surprising. All of these you can sort out with a little will power, he said, but you can't choose your parents.

I got the point straight away, thankful that there is no history of heart disease in my family (and little understanding of what a healthy heart diet is!). But it made me think. About life. Step One in my three-step guide had been achieved - visit your doctor and get the tests!

This may surprise you, but the first thing I did was to put in an order for a new wife. Seriously. Like a kid sending a letter to Santa up the chimney. I had lived as a fun-loving divorcee for a decade so I learned visualization, and got what I asked for!

(She's written here about finding a balance with the help of a juicing diet.)

This in turn led to a massive change of lifestyle because in 2005 my new family moved to Spain whereupon I began building a large outdoor kitchen, terraces, walls and general landscaping. All while soaking up vitamin D from our friend the sun, eating a Mediterranean healthy heart diet etc. I lost three stone (42lbs or 19 kilos) in six months and my new wife was delighted!

And now, step three!

The antidote is simple: the valuable source of phyto-nutrients from fruit and vegetables, best extracted by juicing and taken regularly throughout the day, every day.

In addition, a good supply of Essential Fatty Acids (found in oily fish and the oil from several varieties of seeds and nuts), and antioxidant vitamins and minerals.

Red and dark berries should be juiced and drunk daily! If you are juicing for your healthy heart diet with non-organic fruit and veg, you should seriously consider supplements especially 400mg of Vitamin E a day and perhaps 2g of Vitamin C.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

IMPORTANT! Do you take STATINS to lower cholesterol? If so, see this vital article on the worst kind of side effect that so few doctors tell us.

Somewhere along this journey of mine I discovered the power of garlic. Make sure you do, too!

Another great discovery is the amazing power of beetroot to reduce blood pressure (hypertension). The potassium in figs also has blood pressure-lowering benefits, while the pectin in figs helps reduce cholesterol.

See easy chocolate recipes for the antioxidant health benefits of pure cacao powder.

The king of fruits for heart health is the amazing pomegranate. We also have a page on pomegranate recipes.

If you suffer from stress, here's a guide to the role of juicing in stress management and a very thorough list of herbal remedies.

Did you know that coconut juice is a superb artery protector and it's not as difficult as you think to make yourself?

While on the subject of natural remedies, Helpful Natural Remedies is an easy to read site dealing with problems like Heart Disease and Arthritis.

Tune into tomatoes - they contain a very powerful antioxidants.

The power of juicing leafy greens for heart health

Of course, you might be asking Why Juicing? Visit our Q and A page.

Share Your Story and Help Others

Have you survived a heart attack or stroke? Overcome high blood pressure? Tell others your story here, especially how you are looking after your heart through diet.