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High Fat/High Cholesterol Diet:
There are many wonderful food products available today that are
free of cholesterol and saturated fat. Imagine Foods, a natural
foods company, makes an array of beverages (Rice Dream and Soy
Dream), soups (Imagine Natural Organic Soups and Broths), and
Soy Dream and Rice Dream Frozen Desserts that are nondairy, cholesterol
free and delicious.
In 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) said that foods containing at least 6.25
grams of soy protein per serving that are also "low fat,"
can claim to be “heart healthy” on their products’
labels, because these foods play a part in reducing the risk
of heart disease. Imagine Foods’ Soy Dream Beverages, by
way of example, has 7 grams of soy protein in an 8-ounce serving,
so it is considered a “heart healthy” food product
according to the FDA’s guidelines.
High Blood Pressure: A healthy
diet (low in saturated fat and cholesterol, high in grains, fruits
and vegetables (a plant based diet), losing weight, exercising
regularly, restricting sodium, and using medication might help
lower blood pressure to a healthy level.
Family history of coronary artery
disease: Make sure that you and your Valentine are aware of your
individual medical histories, and that you consult a health care
provider for a complete physical.
Diabetes: The incidence of type
2 diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions in the United States.
Many people who are overweight or obese are at risk for type
2 diabetes.
Lack of exercise: In 1996 the
U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health
advised Americans to get at least a half-hour of vigorous exercise
each day. This year, the National Academies' Institute of Medicine
recommended doubling the amount of physical activity from 30
minutes to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity
each day. Take your Valentine for a long walk; you’ll be
doing both of you good.
Obesity: An estimated 120 million
adults in the United States. are overweight or obese. Weight
control can be accomplished by various methods including changing
your diet to include more “heart healthy” ingredients
like those made without saturated fat and cholesterol. Instead
of enjoying cream style soups full of dairy and saturated fats,
try Imagine Natural Organic Soups and Broths, they’re creamy,
delicious and completely dairy and cholesterol free.
Stress: Exercise is a wonderful
stress reliever, but there are plenty of other ways to stop life’s
pressures from reaching the boiling point. Some include keeping
a journal, meditating regularly, reading novels that “take
you away,” spending time with friends and family and trying
your hand at healthy all natural recipes, like those below. Your
heart, and your Valentine, will be grateful. Enjoy!
Should you want a hot and spicy
Valentine’s Day, try this delicious Gazpacho soup -- it’s
red, the color of passion!
Gazpacho Your Heart
1 small onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 large fresh tomato diced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 quart Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon red Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons green Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Puree first 4 ingredients in
processor or blender and set aside. Combine fresh tomato, 1/2
of the cucumber and 1/2 of the green pepper in small bowl; set
aside.
Add Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato
Soup, cilantro, tomato paste and remaining cucumber and green
pepper to processor. Blend until chunky puree forms. Add the
red and green Tabasco sauces, salt and pepper.
Move gazpacho to large serving
bowl and mix in reserved vegetables. Cover and refrigerate until
well chilled before serving. Serve with a rib of celery and a
sprinkle of cilantro for garnish.
Tofu Cheesecake
Should you want your Valentine’s
Day to be velvety smooth, serve up this "cheesecake"
topped with fresh fruit (consider fresh strawberries in keeping
with the Valentine’s Day “red” theme). Agar flakes,
which are made from seaweed, are used as a thickener. Look for
them in natural food stores or Asian markets.
1 nine-inch baked crumb crust
2 tablespoons agar flakes
2/3 cup Soy Dream Original or Rice Dream Original Beverage
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, Sucanat or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound firm tofu
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons vanilla
Fresh fruit for topping (strawberries, kiwi fruit, etc.)
Combine the agar and Soy Dream
or Rice Dream in a saucepan and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in
the sugar and salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently,
for 5 minutes.
Pour into a blender and add
the tofu, lemon juice, lemon peel, and vanilla. Blend until very
smooth. Spread evenly into a prepared crust.
Refrigerate 30 minutes, and
then top with fresh fruit. Chill thoroughly before serving.
Per serving: 192 calories; 8
g protein; 36 g carbohydrate; 2 g fat; 247 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol
Courtesy of ARA Content |
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