Nourish Your Heart

Happy Valentine’s Day! Traditionally, Valentine’s Day has been celebrated by purchasing flowers, chocolate candies, jewelry, a fancy dinner, etc.

Today, let’s take a moment to turn inward to the matters of the heart.

The Mind and Heart Connection

Open your mind, open your heart. 

Take time for yourself to settle down your mind, clear your thoughts, focus on your breathing and listen to the sound of your heart beat.  Turn inward and notice how you feel.  Be present with yourself.  Tune into your emotions and develop an awareness of your emotional state of being. 

Once you have settled into a present state of mind, you’re ready to nourish your heart health by focusing on your nutritional intake, physical activity and your mindset.

Nutrition

American Heart Association guidelines recommend a heart-healthy eating pattern that primarily consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limiting red meat, sweets, sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol.

Increase your intake of these heart-healthy foods:

• Fruits: 4-5 servings per day (1 serving = 1 medium fruit; ¼ cup dried fruit, ½ cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit; or ½ cup fruit juice

• Cherries, apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes

• Vegetables: 4-5 servings per day (1 serving = 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup cut-up raw or cooked vegetable, or ½ cup vegetable juice)

• Leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, cabbage), broccoli, and carrots

• Whole Grains, preferably high fiber: 6-8 servings per day.  (1 serving = 1 slice whole grain bread; 1 oz. dry cereal; or ½ cup oatmeal)

• Plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas

• Nuts, legumes and seeds.  4-5 servings per week.  (1 serving = ⅓ cup or 1 ½ oz. nuts, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 2 tablespoons or ½ oz. seeds, or ½ cup cooked legumes)

• Kidney beans, black beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans

• Sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax seeds

• Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts

• Oils and foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats:

• Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils (not coconut or palm oil)

• Nut and seed butters (almond butter, soynut butter)

• Avocados

• Tofu

Limit your intake of sweets, added sugars, high calories from solid fats and added sugars such as cakes, cookies, candy and ice cream, pizza, cheese, fatty meats and sweetened beverages. 

Physical Activity: Do Something Fun!

Ditch the movie night and roller-skate!

There are many ways to have heart-healthy fun whether you are solo, on a date or with a group of friends or family.

You will feel better when you get your body moving!

Physical activities that support cardiorespiratory fitness:

• Aerobic dancing 

• Bench stepping

• Bicycling

• In-line skating or roller-skating

• Rope jumping

• Rowing

• Running

• Speed skating

• Stair climbing

• Swimming

• Walking or Jogging

Mindfulness and Yoga

Open up your heart chakra with yoga. 

Yoga with Adriene continues to be our favorite.  In this video titled “Heart Chakra Yoga For Beginners”, she provides a beautiful 24-minute practice for all levels to help open up your mind and heart space.

BBQ Tofu & Brown Rice Bowl Recipe

14 oz. Extra Firm Tofu

1 cup brown rice

1 can sodium free black beans

1 avocado

2 roma tomatoes

1/4 of a white onion

Fresh cilantro

1 lime

Your favorite barbecue sauce (check the nutrition labels for a plant-based friendly, low sodium, low added sugar options)

Canola oil

Optional add-ons: roasted corn or pomegranate seeds

Preparing:

Prepare the brown rice according to your package directions, using 1 cup brown rice (Be sure to rinse the rice!)

While the rice is cooking on the stove, remove the tofu from the package, and press it with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Slice the tofu into cubes. Set them aside in a bowl.

Dice the tomatoes, white onion and fresh cilantro. Save some cilantro aside for later. Toss the tomatoes, onion and cilantro together and squeeze a sliced lime to mix in. (This is your pico de gallo topping!)

Slice 1 avocado and set aside.

Drain the beans and rinse them thoroughly. Place them in a small pot and add enough water for them to simmer.

Cooking:

Your brown rice should now be on simmer (per the directions on your package). When the rice is ready, set it aside and add the extra cilantro and squeeze of lime to toss into the rice for flavor.

Put the beans on simmer and add a little of your favorite BBQ sauce to the beans if you wish. Cook the beans until they are done.

On medium-high heat, put 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a medium to large sauce pan. Heat the pan and oil.

Place the cubed tofu into the pan to “stir-fry” to a light golden crisp on all sides. Take care and time to turn each cube (cooking with lots of love!)

When the tofu is a light golden crisp, carefully set aside and add your barbecue sauce and toss the tofu, mixing to coat each cube.

Presentation:

Scoop the rice into your bowl, then the beans, tofu.

Top with pico de gallo and sliced avocado.

If you have add-ons such as roasted corn or pomegranate seeds, toss those in as well!

Squeeze the lime on top all over.

Mindful Eating:

Take a moment when you sit down to eat in a quiet space. Enjoy the aroma of your dish, breathe it in. Savor each bite and notice the textures, flavors and how the food makes you feel.

Wishing you a heart-healthy day!