Cardiologist dr. Elizabeth Clodus follows a "vegan diet" and eats a lot of vegetarian food.
A plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular problems.
Clodus shares the dinners he cooks regularly to keep his heart healthy.
A cardiologist shares what he eats to keep his heart healthy.
Dr. Elizabeth Clodus says nutrition is one of the most important factors in keeping cholesterol levels low and the heart healthy.
According to the American Heart Association, a "heart-healthy diet" is important for controlling blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This includes reducing your intake of red meat and eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Clodus follows a "vegan diet", meaning he eats a lot of vegetarian food, sometimes fish and sometimes meat.
"I'm not perfect, though," she said, adding that she's "a vegetarian in the making."
The more I research nutrition and cardiovascular disease, the more I believe that a whole plant-based diet is the answer to a healthy heart. But she said that a vegan diet is not for everyone, because it is not always practical and not everyone feels well.
Clodus added that while he often eats full meals, he also likes fries, chips, potato chips or ice cream. This happens once a month.
Having a perfect diet isn't sustainable, she said.
Clodus told Insider about the meals she cooks regularly to keep her heart healthy.
A huge salad
Clodus says he often eats "a big salad" for dinner.
Her salads will include greens, berries and whatever is "on the head and in the fridge".
"It's enough for four people," he joked. For protein, he can add chickpeas. Sometimes he adds smoked salmon or eggs, but he usually keeps the vegetable base.
He will add olive oil and vinegar to decorate. It uses white wine vinegar with lemon and olive oil as a secret ingredient, but red wine vinegar can be very effective.
Research shows that vegetarian diets reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, especially in middle age, and can lower cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
Salmon with vegetables
Although it eats mainly plant foods, Clodus prefers fish.
"I love salmon in any presentation," he said.
He likes slow roasted salmon and vegetables and sometimes pasta. Sometimes he substitutes chunks of chicken for the salmon, but that's rare, he says.
Eating fish is an important part of the Mediterranean diet and studies show that it protects our cardiovascular health.
Baked pasta with tomato sauce and prawns
Clodus said he likes to eat orzo pasta.
She has a recipe that puts the cake in tomato sauce, basil and shrimp and then bakes it.
Dr. Rush again and again. Clodus has a jar of ready-made pesto that she mixes with pasta and shrimp for an easy dinner.
A cardiologist previously told Insider that complex carbohydrates, such as oats, brown rice and whole-grain pasta, are directly linked to heart disease.
Chicken or beef chili, sometimes
Clodo said she no longer found meat attractive. "I got away with time. And I don't miss it," he said. But he still cooks meat occasionally.
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet recommended by the AHA limits red meat, prefers lean meats, poultry and fish to reduce the risk of heart disease.
When Clodus eats meat, he chooses chicken or sometimes beef, such as chili. He can prepare these dishes for dinner.
Read the original Insider article