Dietician service

Our diet plays a crucial role in maintaining heart health and the proper functioning of our blood vessels. There are countless myths surrounding nutrition, and it can be overwhelming to navigate through all the conflicting information. Rest assured, the information presented here is reliable, up-to-date, and aligned with the recommendations of the Heart Associations. 

Please note: maintaining good dietary habits, rather than focusing on a single nutrient, is crucial for our health. Eating healthily contributes to our overall wellbeing. It shouldn't be a constant struggle or make us feel deprived. 

Nutritional guidelines for a healthy heart 

• Diversity - consume a wide range of foods with high nutritional value rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and antioxidants, which neutralize the damage caused to the body's cells. These substances can be found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
• Weight - maintain a healthy weight and make sure to exercise regularly.
• Meal size: opt for small, frequent meals. Remember to have breakfast and avoid skipping it.

 What should you eat and what should you avoid?

• Vegetables - of all types and colors, preferably with the peel, cooked in various ways (steaming, sautéing).  Salads, soups and vegetable stews. For lunch and dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables. 
• Fruits – consume all types and colors, preferably with the peel. Spread out fruit eating throughout the day and avoid eating a large amount of fruit at once. Replace dessert, sweets, cookies, and snacks with a portion of fruit. It is advisable to combine the portion of fruit with nuts and unsalted almonds or natural organic yogurt (up to 3% fat).
• Oil - consume good vegetable oils: olive/canola oil, unsalted nuts and seeds, avocado, homemade tahini. Completely remove margarine (hydrogenated vegetable fat) and products containing it from the menu: burekas, croissants, malawach, jachnun, chips, snacks, crackers, etc.
• Fish - at least twice a week, preferably fish containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, trout, mullet, sea bass.
• Chicken and meat - eat several times a week, but not every day, skinless chicken, small portions of turkey meat, and at most one small portion a week of low-fat beef. Avoid eating fatty meat, large portions of meat, sausages and processed meat products.
• Legumes - beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, mash, millet, pulses.
• Whole grains - eat oats, grits, whole wheat bread, whole rye, whole wheat pasta / durum, whole wheat couscous, bulgur, brown rice / basmati, buckwheat, quinoa, corn.
• Dairy products - eat a reasonable amount of products containing up to 5 percent fat, preferably fortified with calcium - yogurt, sour milk and unsalted cheeses. Yellow cheese: no more than one slice a day, up to 9 percent fat. Avoid eating high-fat or high-salt dairy products.
• Eggs - up to one egg a day. Diabetics or those with an unbalanced fat profile - up to 4 eggs per week.
• Salt - reduce use of salt, because of the sodium. Pay attention to processed and preserved foods that contain a large amount of salt.
• Spices - use spices and herbs that do not contain sodium. These add wonderful flavors to food and reduce the need for salt.
• Drinking – drink plenty of water. Avoid drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks, including flavored water. Hot drinks: It is recommended to drink tea, especially green tea (except for people treated with Coumadin). Limit coffee drinking to up to 3 cups a day.
• Alcohol - those accustomed to drinking alcohol, can drink a limited amount with the meal - a glass of wine, or a glass of spirits, or a small bottle of light beer. Keep alcohol consumption separate from any medications you are taking.