Healthy Cooking for a healthy heart

Healthy Cooking for a healthy heart

1 June 2016

June 1, 2016 : Yaduna released today during a media gathering, nutrition guidelines encouraging Lebanese to adopt a healthy nutrition to prevent heart diseases, the number one killer among women.  The gathering was headed by Yaduna’s Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant Hana Ziad Arabi and renowned chef Rima Khodor who shed the light on the preventive measures to decrease the risk and burden of heart disease, the secrets of a heart-healthy diet topped with delicious recipes. 

Despite major advances in medical treatments, maintaining a healthy diet, being physically active, and not smoking are still the best approaches to prevent heart disease. Improving diet lowers the risk for heart disease in many ways, including helping to lower high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as preventing obesity and improving the function of the heart and blood vessels. 

“At Yaduna, protecting the health includes empowering women with the tools they need to make healthy choices in their daily lives," said Hana Ziad Arabi, clinical dietitian and nutrition consultant at Yaduna. "By focusing on small shifts in what we eat and drink, eating healthy becomes more manageable. In our center we provide recommendations on food and nutrition for women to make decisions that helps prevent heart diseases."

Specific recommendations for a healthy nutrition include following a healthy eating pattern including a variety of food and drink while limiting calories from added sugars and saturated fats, and reduce sodium intake. 

Healthy eating patterns include a variety of nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, low-fat and fat-free dairy, lean meats and other protein foods and oils, while limiting saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars and sodium. A healthy eating pattern is adaptable to a person's taste preferences, culture and budget.

At Yaduna-WHHC, the nutrition department provides every woman with a coherent educational plan, nutritional guidelines for long-term healthy lifestyle, and a diet tailored to the health status and individual needs of every patient. The initial visit takes 60 to 90 minutes and is followed by as many 20 to 30 minutes visits as needed for follow-up. By following this strategy, and based on high standards of education, support and motivation, Yaduna-WHHC was able to become part of many success stories.