Derval O'Rourke: Heart health and lamb ragu recipes
This week I’m chatting about heart health. For my recipe, it’s my lamb ragu plus a plum dessert.
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in Ireland? While this may sound like a scary statistic I think it's important to highlight how big of a public health issue heart disease is.
There are many factors which affect your risk of heart disease, some we can control (modifiable risk factors)and others we cannot (non-modifiable).
By focusing on reducing the modifiable risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, being overweight or obese you can make a big difference to your heart health. Here are my top tips:
1) Maintain a healthy body weight:
Being overweight means your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body.
This extra stress causes wear and tear on the heart and blood vessels damaging them over time. When it comes to a heart-healthy diet, the research points to a Mediterranean diet.
It centres around lots of fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains with moderate amounts of fish, white meat, low-fat dairy and nuts and limited amounts of red meat plus lots of physical activity.
2) Focus on fibre:
The guidelines recommend we aim for 30g/day but most of us fall short of this.
A diet rich in fibre, particularly the soluble type found in oats, beans and lentils, can help to lower blood cholesterol levels and protect our hearts. It also helps to keep us feeling fuller for longer which can in turn help with the aim of maintaining a healthy body weight.
3) Quit smoking:
This is one of the single most important steps you can take to live longer and decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Surround yourself with a strong support system to give yourself the best chance of success.
4) Cut down on salt:
Too much salt in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, a known risk factor for coronary heart disease.
The guidelines recommend no more than 6g of salt per day. Over 70% of the salt we consume comes from processed foods so aiming to cook from scratch is a great first step.
Try to limit the amount of salt you add during cooking and use herbs and spices to add flavour instead.
5) Be alcohol aware:
Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to high blood pressure, stroke and certain cancers. Aim to keep within sensible limits.
While there is evidence to suggest that moderate alcohol consumption may have a positive effect on heart health, it would not be my go-to recommendation and wouldn’t warrant starting to drink alcohol if you don’t already.
6) Focus on fats:
Aim to replace saturated fat with monounsaturated fats like olive oil, almonds and avocados or polyunsaturated fats like oily fish, walnuts and seeds.
These guidelines are based on the theory that too much saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels which can, in turn, increase your risk of heart disease. It’s also important to try and keep trans fat intake to a minimum.
These fats are of no benefit to our health and can increase bad cholesterol while decreasing good cholesterol levels, a no-go in my opinion. It’s also important to mention that eating foods high in cholesterol for example eggs, is not associated with an increase in blood cholesterol levels.
7) Oily fish:
Oily fish is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids for the maintenance of a healthy heart. Aim to consume 2 + portions a week. Vegetarian and vegan sources of omega 3 fatty acids include chia seeds and walnuts. However, the body cannot use these as efficiently so a supplement might be beneficial.
8) Get moving:
I was shocked to learn that up to 20% of coronary heart disease and 10% of strokes can be linked to physical inactivity. Being active is good for your heart and your head.
Set yourself small goals like getting out for a lunchtime walk or doing an exercise class each week. Consider monitoring your daily steps with an activity watch like the Fitbit.
9) Manage your stress levels:
Stress is a natural part if life. However, chronically elevated levels can have a negative impact on mental and physical health. We also tend to eat more high sugar, high-fat foods, drink more alcohol and move less when they are stressed.
My top tips for dealing with stress would be to chat it out with a friend or to get out for a run, exercise helps to produce happy hormones which make us feel more relaxed.
10) Don’t be a hero:
Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Choose one or two action points then plan and prepare to help keep yourself on track. As soon as you are doing well with the first couple of healthy habits then move on to new ones.
Fitspiration: @dietetically_speaking
Maeve is a UK-registered dietitian from Ireland. She founded dieteticallyspeaking.com to challenge nutrition myths and promote evidence-based nutrition.
Be sure to check her out for recipes and tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Lamb ragu
This dish is wonderful for cooking in big batches and is the perfect meal for a cozy winter evening. I love to serve this with some pasta but it also pairs well with rice or potatoes.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Serves: 6
Protein – 37g
Fat –12.5g
Carbohydrates – 11g
Calories - 310
1 kg lamb pieces
2 tbsp. rapeseed oil
2 medium onions, peeled
and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of flour
1 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tin plum tomatoes
A handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large heavy based saucepan, season the meat with salt and black pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and drain any excess fat from the pan.
Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and flour and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes before returning the lamb to the saucepan.
Pour over just enough water to cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, or until the lamb is falling apart.
About two-thirds of the way through cooking, stir the mix well and add a little extra water if needed.
Once cooked, transfer to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle over the flat-leafed parsley just before serving.
Healthy plum dessert
I love to enjoy something sweet after dinner and dishes like this are the perfect solution.
This is gorgeous served with some Greek yoghurt and a sprinkling of toasted nuts.
It’s a great healthy dessert to make for friends.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Protein – 0g
Fat – 0g
Carbohydrates – 10.5g
Calories - 40
3 ripe plums, stones removed and cut into wedges.
1 tbsp. maple syrup
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees.
Place the plums wedges in an ovenproof dish.
In a small bowl combine the maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice and cinnamon.
Pour the mixture over the plums and mix well to combine.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the plums are soft and syrupy.
