Best Diet for Heart Health Plus a Crispy Salmon with Saffron, Aioli and Smashed Green Peas

Here at Supercharged Food HQ, we’re no stranger to talking about the best diets for our gut and, well, *clears throat*, our gut (hello, covid kilos!), but today I wanted to discuss the best diet for your heart.

If you, or your family, have high cholesterol levels, elevated blood pressure or systemic inflammation, eating a heart-healthy diet is essential for your wellbeing. 

So, what do I recommend? 

An anti-inflammatory diet filled with an abundance of plant foods is the best way you can eat for a healthy heart. (1)

But, it’s not always that simple. If I was to give you a list of do’s and don’ts for a healthy heart it would look a little something like this…

DO:

• An overall approach is “Fresh” is always best. Eating a wholefoods diet filled with predominantly fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes will be a good long-term plan.

  My go-to fresh meal will forever be my Bohemian Baked Vegetable Bowl - every health blogger needs one and it's just so filling and scrumptious ;). 

• Anti-inflammatory foods are your new best friend. Including foods such as oily fish, salmon, sardines or mackerel, and chia seeds, nuts and hemp seeds. 

• When it comes to dietary fibre this isn’t just great for your gut; your heart’s a big fan of it too! Try to add more beans, oats and flaxseeds to help lower total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. Studies also indicate that high-fibre foods have other heart health benefits, like reducing blood pressure and overall inflammation – fibre is the gift that keeps on giving. Having a clean gut is also important to absorb all of the goodness from your food. Love Your Gut powder can help with that. 

• Calcium is a mineral which is essential for a well-functioning cardiac muscle and regulated blood pressure. Calcium-rich foods include dairy, dark leafy greens, tahini and nuts. 

• Foods rich in the mega-mineral magnesium (cue: holy light shining from the ceiling with angels singing) are your go-to. Magnesium helps to maintain a regular heart rhythm and a healthy cardiovascular system. I recommend upping the avocados (not that you need an excuse), pumpkin seeds, spinach, nuts, tofu, whole grains and oily fish. 

  Why not try my Ginger-seared tuna with avocado?

• Human studies show intermittent fasting has a positive impact on cardiovascular health. (2).  If you want the low-down on intermittent fasting, check out my Fast Your Way to Wellness program.
• A healthy diet isn’t the only way to a healthy heart; your heart also needs movement. A combination of resistance and aerobic exercise is essential for a strong heart.
• Health encompasses more than just diet, and exercise according to https://fitnesstodiet.com/; we need to look at the connections that we have with others, too.  Having strong social bonds is proven to affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. (3)  So, if you’ve been looking for a sign to call a friend or family member, this is it.
  

DON’T: 

• I don’t mean to be salty, but it’s time to cut down on the salt! The western diet is filled with sodium, which raises blood pressure and puts unnecessary strain on the heart. Swap the table salt for herbs and spices and maybe, stop placing the salt on the table altogether! Reduce your intake of high-salt food, like potato chips, sausages, salami, hot dogs, instant soups or pasta and pre-packaged sauces like tomato sauce and soy sauce. Choose salt-reduced foods wherever possible. Sea and river salt can be a better option than traditional table salt.

• I hate to be the fun police but cutting down on the stimulants, like coffee, tea, chocolate and alcohol is better for heart health. These foods increase both your heart rate and blood pressure, not to mention the impact they have on your mood, energy and waistline. 

• Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and increase our risk of heart disease, so avoid them as much as possible. Trans fats are in most processed foods, like processed meat, fried foods and desserts. 

• Keep the stress to a minimum. Stress can bring on arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat) and place pressure on the heart. Include stress-busting activities in your weekly routine, like speaking to a loved one, meditating, walking, journaling or yoga. 

• When it comes to a healthy heart, aim to keep stress to a minimum. Stress can bring on arrhythmias (an irregular heartbeat) and place pressure on the heart. Include stress-busting activities in your weekly routine, like speaking to a loved one, meditating, walking, journaling or yoga. 

• Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your heart. Not only does smoking increase the formation of plaque in blood vessels, but some chemicals in cigarettes can cause the blood to thicken and form clots inside veins and arteries. If you’re a smoker, I highly recommend quitting. 

• Now that’s out of the way; I’m sure you can’t wait to get going on your heart-healthy way!

• If you want to get started now (go you good thing!), get amongst my heart-healthy Crispy Salmon from my latest cookbook Supercharge Your Life.

Crispy Salmon with Saffron, Aioli and Smashed Green Peas

Full of anti-inflammatory salmon, antioxidant-rich herbs and veggies, this quick and fresh meal is one that will make your heart happy. Oh, and your mouth water, too.  

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets, skin on
• sea salt, for rubbing
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, sliced and roasted, to serve (optional)
• chives and edible flowers, to serve (optional)

Saffron aioli 

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• pinch of saffron threads, soaked in a little lemon juice
• 375 ml (13 fl oz/1 ½ cups) extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Smashed peas

• 200 g (7 oz) frozen peas
• 50 ml (13/4 fl oz) vegetable stock or filtered water
• pinch of sea salt
• 30 g (1 oz) butter
• juice of 1 lemon
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
• handful mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon snipped chives

 Method:

To make the saffron aioli, whiz the garlic, lemon juice, salt, egg yolks and mustard in a food processor. 

Add the saffron and process again.

With the motor still running, very slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will emulsify to a mayonnaise-like consistency. Season to taste.

To make the smashed peas, put the peas and stock in a medium saucepan, season with salt and cook over medium–high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat, strain and stir in the butter.

Gently mash the peas with a fork, then stir in the lemon juice and black pepper. Mix in the olive oil a little at a time, until the peas have the desired consistency. Fold in the herbs.

Pat the salmon dry with paper towel and rub salt into the skin. Heat a large frying pan over medium–high heat, then add the olive oil and heat until the oil shimmers.

Place the salmon fillets in the pan, skin side down, and press on them with a spatula to ensure all of the skin is in contact with the pan. Cook for 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the salmon is still pink inside. Turn over with a spatula, turn off the heat and let the fish sit in the pan for no more than 1 minute.

Divide the smashed peas between four serving plates and top with the salmon and the roasted lemon slices, if using. Garnish with chives and edible flowers, if using, and serve with the aioli on the side. 

Enjoy!

1 https://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(08)00219-6/abstract 

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7415631/

 3 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10656835/