Tempeh Making

Tempeh is a chunky, tender soybean cake, especially popular on the island of Java, Indonesia as a staple source of protein. Tempeh making is a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds whole soybeans, sometimes mixed with other grain such as rice or millet, to form a rich cake with a smoky or nutty flavor.

As in most fermentations of food, tempeh making needs a starter. Tempeh starter is a dried mixture of live Rhizopus spores with substrate, either soybeans or rice. To produce good quality tempeh you need a starter with a very high count of desirable Rhizopus molds and contain no contaminating, coliform or pathogenic bacteria. Tempeh can be produced by two Rhizopus strains: Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus.

Traditional starter in tempeh making is either a piece of the previous day batch tempeh or one especially made by placing a handful of cooked soybeans inoculated with the previous day batch tempeh between two perforated banana, teakwood or hibiscus leaves, allowing them to incubate for a few days until black spores cover the beans, and finally drying them in the sun. The latter is used by rubbing the leaves above the soybeans to be inoculated. Although this type of tempeh starter can easily be contaminated with other molds or bacteria, the climatic conditions in Indonesia are so ideal for tempeh fermentation that this type of contamination is not known to cause problems. In Western countries, however, tempeh making always use pure cultures to ensure consistent quality and to minimize failed batches.

Tempeh making starts with soaking, de-hulling, and partly cooking the whole soybeans. Soaking is done for 6 to 18 hours. To de-hull and split, the beans are squeezed with kneading motion and rinsed clean with water. In Indonesia, traditional tempeh makers soak the beans in a river and stomping them with their feet in large bamboo woven baskets submerged in the river to de-hull.

Cooking is done for about 30 min or till al dente, then the water is drained off but the heating is continued for a few minutes on medium heat to dry the cooked soybeans. Then they are allowed to cool down to below 35°C before mixing in the starter.

A mild acidulent, usually vinegar, may be added either while soaking or before boiling to lower the pH and create an environment that favors the growth of the tempeh mold over competitors. Spread in thin layer, the beans are fermented for 18 to 36 hours at around 30°C (86°F).

Due to its climate, in Indonesia tempeh making doesn’t need incubators. The inoculated beans is simply buried under a pile of leaves to keep it warm and, if necessary, fanned to cool it off.

In good tempeh, the beans are knitted together by a mat of white mycelia to form a compact cake. Under lower temperature, or higher ventilation, gray or black patches of spores may form on the surface—this is not harmful, and should not affect the flavor or quality of the tempeh.

You can do your own tempeh making. The starter, you may get it over the internet at http://www.tempeh.info. For 250 g of soybeans you need about 3 table spoons of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of tempeh starter. Use perforated cling film, or perforate empty milk or juice carton, zip-lock sandwich bags or ordinary plastic bags as the packaging. The holes should be thick (about 0.6 mm in diameter) at a distance of about 1 cm to allow the mould to breathe. Press the mix flat to total thickness of max 3 cm. Place the packed beans in an incubator at 30°C (86°F) or at a warm place for about 36- 48 hours to allow fermentation to take place.

Tempeh

Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is a traditional food made by natural culturing and controlled fermentation of soybeans by two strains of Rhizopus molds: Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus, that cover the beans with their mycelia to form a cake. It is a staple source of protein in Java made from whole soybeans. The retention of the whole bean and the fermentation process give tempeh a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins, plus firmer texture and stronger flavor compared to tofu. Its rich nutritional value makes tempeh used worldwide in vegetarian cuisines, partly as meat analogue, while long before it was referred to as “Javanese meat.”

Tempeh is made by soaking, de-hulling, and partly cooking the whole soybeans, and then lowering the pH, usually with vinegar, to create favorable environment, and mixing with fermentation starter containing the spores of the Rhizopus fungus. This mix is then allowed to ferment for 18 to 36 hours at a temperature around 30°C (86°F).

To produce good quality tempeh you need a starter with millions of the Rhizopus spores and contain no contaminating, coliform or pathogenic bacteria. It is often extended with sterile rice flour or starch to standardize the spore count. In Indonesia tempeh starter is either a piece of the previous batch tempeh, or dried starter made by incubating a handful of cooked and inoculated soybeans between two hibiscus leaves for a few days until black spores covering the soybeans and then drying them in the sun. To use the spores, the hibiscus leaves are then rubbed above the soybeans to be inoculated. These types of starters are vulnerable to other molds or bacteria contaminations, but the climatic conditions in Indonesia are so ideal for tempeh fermentation that the contamination is not troublesome. In Western countries pure cultures are used to insure consistent quality and to minimize failed batches.

Tempeh keeps well frozen for several months and refrigerated for about 10 days. As with other fermented products, a little mold on the surface of tempeh is harmless.

Since whole soybeans are used, tempeh is fiber-rich. It is also a generous source of calcium, B-vitamins and iron. Fermentation makes the protein in tempeh more digestible, and the Rhizopus culture greatly reduces the oligosaccharides associated with gas and indigestion. In traditional tempeh making, the starter culture often contains beneficial bacteria that produce B12 vitamin.

Tempeh has a smoky, nutty, meaty, and mushroom-like flavor. In Indonesia it is usually consumed with rice or as a snack. Its tender, chunky and chewy consistency makes it an excellent addition to a variety of foods. Tempeh on the grill is delicious; frozen can be well grated to replace ground beef, as in tacos; fresh is suitable for marinades and deep fried; and dried provides an excellent stew base for backpackers. Tempeh can also be used in chili, stir fry, soups, salads, spaghetti sauces, sandwiches, and casseroles. Vegetarians use it as a substitution for breakfast meats, such as sausage and bacon.

Fermented Soybean Products

Some soy foods are made by fermenting soybeans. In the process soybeans are inoculated with some microbes, mostly done with a starter, to push the process in the desired direction. These fermented soybean products contains higher amounts of calcium and vitamin K2.

There are many fermented soybean products in the Asian, especially East Asian cuisines; miso, tempeh and natto are among the many.

Miso

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting, most typically, soybeans, with salt and the fungus kōjikin, resulting a thick paste used for sauces, spreads, and pickling vegetables or meats. A Japanese soup called Misoshiru use this high in protein, vitamins and minerals fermented soybean product as a mix.

Miso is a source of Lactobacillus acidophilus. This fermented soybean product also contains lecithin, a kind of phospholipid that is effective in the prevention of high blood pressure. Some experts suggest that miso can help treat radiation sickness. However miso contains salt, which is essential to animal life in small amount but may cause a variety of health problems in excess.

Tempeh

Tempeh, or tempe in Javanese, is made by fermenting soybeans with Rhizopus molds strains, Rhizopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus that binds the soybeans into a cake form. This fermented whole soybean product is chunky, tender and is consumed daily in Indonesia as part of the main meal, or as a snack.

Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a high content of protein, which is more digestible, dietary fiber, and vitamins. The Rhizopus culture also greatly reduces oligosaccharides that are associated with gas and indigestion. In traditional tempeh making, the starter culture often contains beneficial bacteria that produce vitamins such as B12. Tempeh is also a generous source of minerals such as calcium and iron. Its nutritional value makes this fermented soybean product used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine, partly as meat analogue; while traditionally it is referred to as “Javanese meat.”

Nattō

Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis. A popular breakfast food, protein-rich nattō, together with miso, formed a vital source of nutrition in feudal Japan. There are also other traditional Bacillus subtilis fermented soybean food products in many other Asian countries.

Nattō contains large amounts of Vitamin K, and a much larger amount of polyamine than any other food. Vitamin K involves in the formation of calcium-binding groups in proteins, assisting the formation of bone and preventing osteoporosis, while polyamine suppresses excessive immune reactions. According to a study, fermented soybean products also contain a very important Vitamin for the skin, PQQ.

Some substances in nattō is said to be good for reducing blood clotting and avoiding thrombosis, as in heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, or strokes. This fermented soybean product may also prevent amyloid-type diseases such as Alzheimer.

Soybean and Its Usages

Soybean is the most widely grown and utilized legume in the world and one of the most well researched, health-promoting foods available today. Containing about 40% on the dry weight-base of protein, 35% of carbohydrate, 20% of oil and about 5% of ash, it is one of the richest and cheapest sources of vegetable protein provided for millions of people, an important source of vegetable oil and also ingredients for hundreds of chemical products.

As an excellent source of protein, economically soybean is the most important bean in the world, the most nutritious and most easily digested food of the bean family. It contains a significant amount of essential amino acids, as well as a high levels of essential fatty acids including omega-3, numerous vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and iron, isoflavones, and fiber. Soy protein is the nutritional equivalent of meat and eggs for human growth and health, and with less saturated fat and cholesterol content, consuming soy protein tends to lower cholesterol levels, while consuming protein from animal sources tends to raise them. Just one cup of soybeans provides 57.2% of the Daily Value for protein for less than 300 calories and only 2.2 grams of saturated fat. Also, because soybean contains no starch, it is a good source of protein for diabetics.

Many processed foods use soybean as the primary ingredient, including many meat and dairy product substitutes, and baby foods. In Asia it is extensively consumed in the forms of soybean milk and tofu, fermented products such as soy sauce, tempeh, natto, and miso, sprouted for use as a salad ingredient or a vegetable and may be eaten roasted as a snack food.

Soybean may reduce the risk of colon cancer, possibly due to the presence of sphingolipids as well as fiber. The fiber in soybean is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins and remove them from the body. It also provides preventative therapy for several other cancers, including breast and prostate cancer. Soybean may also prevent high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity.

However, as with many dietary health claims, there are opposing viewpoints on the health benefits of soybeans. Some negative effects of soybean are reported, including allergic reactions, kidney or gallbladder problems due to measurable amount of oxalates, and thyroid problems. For human consumption, soybean must be cooked with "wet" heat in order to destroy the trypsin inhibitors{serine protease inhibitors}. It is not advisable to eat raw soybeans.

Soybean’s oil can be processed into vegetable oil, margarine, shortening, and vegetarian cheeses. It is also the primary source of bio-diesel in the United States. Industrially, the oil is used as an ingredient in paints, adhesives, fertilizers, sizing for cloth, linoleum backing, insect sprays, and fire extinguisher fluids. Soybean is also used in soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, and solvents. Since 2001 it has also been used as fermenting stock in the manufacture of a brand of vodka.

Soy Foods, Healthy Foods

Soy foods are considered as healthy foods because soybeans are nutritious. Dry whole soybeans contain (by weight) 40% protein with a significant amount of complete essential amino acids, 35% carbohydrate mostly dietary fiber, 20% oil including omega-3 fatty acids and about 5% ash with B vitamins, molybdenum, manganese, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, and potassium.

Soy foods are varied from vegetables like edamamé and soy sprouts, flavor enhancer like hydrogenated vegetable protein, miso and soy sauces, dairy products like milk, yoghurt, cheese, and ice cream, to flour substitutes that enable wide variety of healthy foods.

The complete protein profile makes soybean the best meat alternative with less cholesterol and saturated fat content. A wide variety of vegetarian foods, including meat imitator, are soy foods made from textured vegetable protein. Isolated soy protein is used in healthy foods as highly digestible source of amino acids.

Most carbohydrates in soy foods are dietary fiber. Some processed foods are made healthy with soy fiber like okara, soy bran, and soy isolate fiber.

Soy oil is the most widely used oil in the U.S. It is cholesterol-free, high in polyunsaturated fat and also made into margarine, shortening and whipped toppings.

Fermentation process in soy foods such as tempeh, natto, miso and soy sauce may lowers the high phytoestrogens content and breaks down the beans' complex proteins; so whole soy fermented products like tempeh and natto are more easily digested healthy foods than the original soybeans.

Sphingolipids in soy foods may reduce the risk of colon cancer. American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agree that diets that include 25 to 50 grams of soy protein a day can help to lower levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol, that is known to build up in and clog blood vessels leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, so long as they are low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Soy foods from whole soybean, such as tofu, soymilk, soy-based burgers, tempeh, and soy nuts, may also similarly qualify as healthy foods if no fat is added to that present in the whole soybean. Soy protein is also effective in supporting kidney health, and may cause calcium to be better utilized, helping to support bone health.

However, some substances in soy foods are suspected to cause health issues. These include phytic acid that may reduce vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc, and cause growth problems in children; trypsin inhibitors that may interfere with protein digestion and cause pancreatic disorders; some types of phytoestrogen that may promote breast cancer in adult women, disrupt endocrine function, cause infertility and hypothyroidism; aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and kidneys; and oxalates, that may crystallize and cause health problems, and interfere with absorption of calcium. Cooking or fermentation may reduce some of those substances; however, for individuals with related health problems it is better to avoid soy foods and choose other healthy foods.

Nutrition to Lose Weight Fast

Fiber

Fiber can help you lose weight fast. This nutrition keeps the right amount of water in your intestines, making your digestive system work more efficiently and helping to keep things moving through your bowel regularly. Fiber rich foods also low in calories and bulk you up so make you feel fuller for longer while reducing your calorie intake. There is also evidence that fiber in the diet can help prevent stroke and heart disease and ease the effects of diabetes.

The average person can lose 9-10 pounds in one year just from doubling their fiber intake aim for 25grams per day (the average for most adults is just 8grams). Fiber rich foods include strawberries, apples, figs, chickpeas, potatoes (with skins), broccoli, brown rice, beans, bran and nuts. Our bodies can’t digest fiber so it simply goes through the body. During the elimination process this nutrition cuts calories consumed, and hence help lose weight fast by attaching to protein and fat that you eat along with it and removes them as well.

Good Fats

There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats are another nutrition that help you lose weight fast by providing you with essential fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic acids) that can actually help your body burn fat more efficiently and that are needed for normal reproduction and growth, production of prostaglandin – a hormone like compound that regulates blood pressure, prevents blood clotting and lowers the risk of heart disease. Get at least three portions of oily fish a week. Good choices include salmon, mackerel, herrings and sardines.

Good Carbohydrates

Don't believe what you read about carbohydrates being bad for you. A diet containing good carbohydrates such fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans together with moderate fats and calories, will help you lose weight fast. This nutrition will also help you combat hunger pangs as they are slowly realized into the body. The best carbohydrates are the ones with no refining or processing.

High Quality Proteins

Quality protein is an effective nutrition to lose weight fast because it suppresses the appetite and keeps you full for longer periods. It also balances out carbohydrates by preventing insulin spikes that cause energy loss and sugar cravings and helps to maintain muscle mass which is important in the fat burning process. Good choices include fish, shrimps, low fat cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, skimmed milk, egg whites. Since a lot of them are often high in calories, some people combine protein foods with certain low in calories and high in fiber plant foods.

A diet based on increased levels of high quality protein has been shown in a number of studies to give an added boost to dieters by helping them lose weight fast, increase loss of body fat, and reduce the loss of muscle tissue. Most experts recommend a diet containing 25 - 35 percent of this nutrition for weight-loss and between 20 - 25 percent protein for weight maintenance.

Processing and Eating Healthy

For eating healthy you have to know the foods you’ll eat. Processed foods may be convenient, but most processing changes the food’s structure and therefore changing the way the body reacts to it. To ensure eating healthy the food you eat should be more in its natural form or moderately processed.

Whole foods are the least processed foods. The lack of processing allows the food to keep most of the nutrition. Whole grains like whole wheat, oats, barley and brown rice are good sources of dietary fiber and other nutrients not present in their refined forms, so are the best choices for eating healthy.

Here’s some information.

Bottled Juice

In bottled juice processing, the fruit is separated from its fiber, pasteurized and mostly added with preservatives. Lacking fiber, the sugar in juice enters the bloodstream much faster, and hence affects insulin levels; pasteurization decreases vitamins content to some extent; and preservatives like brominated oil has been linked to major organ system damage, birth defects and growth problems. For eating healthy, you’d better make your own juice with a super blender that crushes all the fiber in the fruit or, better still, have fresh fruits.

Homogenized Milk

Mechanical homogenization exposes milk to high heated or pressured processing that may damage its fat particles so the body cannot break them down, increasing the risk of rancidity and oxidation which may contribute to heart disease. Easily separated creams in pasteurized or fresh milk may be inconvenient, but they are better choices for eating healthy

Canned Foods

Cooking in canned foods processing destroys about one-third to one-half of the vitamins A and C, riboflavin and thiamin, 5% to 20% more are lost during storing. Salt and preservatives addition may harm the body furthermore. Fresh foods are more nutritious than canned or frozen ones, so more suitable for eating healthy.

Cooking Oil

In most cooking oil extraction the seeds are subject to crushing, high heating and heavily pressing that damage naturally occurring vitamins, like Vitamin E, and produce dangerous free radicals. Toxic solvents, usually hexane, are sometimes used to increase yield and may still remain in the oil up to 100 parts per million after boiled off. High heat processing also produces residues coming off the metal containers used. Your choices for eating healthy are cold-pressed extracted oils, such as olive and coconut oils.

Instant, Refined, Enriched and Fortified Foods

Instant food processing converts naturally occurring soluble fiber into an insoluble form, which may cause unnecessary spikes in blood sugar. This also happens to refined foods. The refining process also removes or destroys many vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutrients. "Refined" foods, such as white flour and white sugar, significantly reduce B vitamins in the body.

Enriched and fortified are only made up strategies to compensate processing lost while increasing shelf life, color, flavor, smell, consistency, or convenience. The additives are oftentimes of lower quality. Pasteurized milk is fortified with synthetic Vitamin D (D2), which many children react to while the natural form (D3) helps inhibits skin and prostate cancer, stimulates bone density, and increases the absorption of Calcium and Phosphorus.

For eating healthy, forget about convenience and have more whole, raw, or unprocessed foods.

However some traditional processing turns our foods into better choices of eating healthy, for example:

Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut

Traditional lacto fermentation helps keep vegetables edible without freezing or canning. The process increases the foods’ nutrition, produces probiotics that promote healthy flora in the body and converts natural sugars and starches to lactic acid; so it’s better for health, flavor and taste.

Nutrition in Diet Plan

Fats contain 9 calories per gram, so this nutrition should be limited in a weight-losing diet plan. Saturated and trans fats may increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol level and hence your risk of heart disease, so limit your intake to 20 grams of saturated fat and close to 0 grams of trans fat each day. However, "good" fats, such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats found in fish, nuts, and low- or nonfat dairy products can be beneficial to your overall health.

Monounsaturated fatty acid is the most important nutrition in a diet plan called Mediterranean diet, and is rich in nuts, legumes and especially olive oil. According to a study at the University of Athens Medical School, consuming large quantities of these, fruits and vegetables, keeping alcohol intake moderate and avoiding too much meat are the main components of the diet that showed to improve health and help people live longer.

Fruits and vegetables are included in many diet plans because they are low in calories, high in fiber, and contain unique nutrition, phytochemicals, or antioxidants, that boost your health. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different sets of phytochemicals that provide different health benefits, as follow:

· Lycopene in pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon helps fight lung and prostate cancers.

· Anthocyanins in concord grapes, blueberries and prunes may prevent clot formation and so heart disease and lower risk of cancer.

· Lutein in spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens and bok choy may reduce risk of heart disease and stroke and prevent age-related macular degeneration, folate, in dark green leafy vegetables may prevent heart diseases and sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables can detoxify cancer-causing chemicals in the body.

· Beta carotenes in carrots, mangos, pumpkin and oranges may prevent cancer, particularly of the lung, esophagus and stomach, reduce risk of heart disease and improve immune function.

· Anthoxanthins and allicin in cauliflower, mushrooms, banana and onions can help lower blood pressure and protect against stomach cancer.

After a gastric bypass surgery the nutrition in your diet plan should help you lose weight, while maintain your losses and still get adequate nutrition with limited food intake. Start the first few days with liquid diets – water, broth, juice, milk and cooked cereal, then pureed foods for about a month while your stomach heals, afterward easy-to-chew foods – cooked vegetables, soft fruits, and ground or canned meats like chicken, ham, fish and some shellfish. Temporarily avoid difficult to digest red meat (at least a year, or 10 months if lean and ground), spicy foods (four to six weeks), fruit and vegetable skins (six months), carbonated beverages (six months), and bread (one year).

You'll need protein-rich foods (lean meat, yogurt, liquid meal replacements, smoothies, eggs) to help your body recover, multivitamin plus additional calcium and vitamin D3 to help your body absorb certain nutrients, also extra iron, folate and vitamin B12. While not eating fish, you are recommended to take fish oil supplements starting two weeks after surgery.

Weight-loss after Pregnancy

In average mothers gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, shed 12.5 to 14 pounds during the birth, and have to loss about 12 to 21 pounds of excess weight to regain the pre-pregnancy figure. Since the body needs to recover, weight-loss after pregnancy is not recommended until about three months following childbirth. Just as weight-gain during pregnancy, weight-loss after that should better be done slowly and steadily; another nine months is considered appropriate for that. In general, losing more than 2 lb a week is unhealthy.

Check the following for the purpose.

Breastfeeding

At least for the first 12 months breastfeeding may give you weight-loss after pregnancy. It makes your body expends about 200 to 500 calories everyday, and, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, it helps your uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and shape by releasing a number of hormones into your body.

However, for many women, pregnancy may cause permanent changes such as softer bellies and wider hips or waistlines. Also, for weight-loss after pregnancy, it’s best to combine breastfeeding with healthy eating and exercising to avoid gaining weight instead.

Healthy Eating

You need a healthy balanced diet to heal and recover from childbirth at least for the first three months. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, don't rush out to dieting. Start your weight-loss after pregnancy program when your body has begun to recover and your period has returned to normal. Even breastfeeding women could diet as long as they could maintain to have at least 1800 calories a day to keep mothers and babies healthy.

Your high nutritional foods should be low in fat, nutrient-dense and high in fiber to get enough calories everyday. Breastfeeding women need 4 servings of dairy foods or other calcium-fortified foods. For portion sizes and number of servings within other food groups, follow the Healthy Eating Guidelines. All new moms, regardless of weight, should focus on nutrition, not on weight-loss! If you're breastfeeding, your baby's nutritional needs outweigh your need for a slim body. The best way to get weight-loss after pregnancy is by expending more energy than you take in. To lose roughly a pound a week, cut out 500 calories a day from your intake and perform regular moderate exercise.

Exercising

There are many benefits of exercising beside for weight-loss after pregnancy. It alleviates post-partum depression, improves your mood, and boosts your confidence and energy level, so that you could better adapt to your new situation, meet the demands of motherhood, and battle the fatigue of caring for a newborn without interfering with your breastfeeding.

However, wait six weeks after a vaginal birth and eight weeks after a c-section, and choose low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming or yoga. Yoga is perfect for in-home working out; walking is one of the best and don't require special equipment. Six to eight weeks after giving birth you may involve your baby in the exercises for weight-loss after pregnancy to stimulate them.

Heart Healthy Recipes

You don’t have to lose flavor to gain health. Heart healthy recipes require no secret ingredients. There are simply lower in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterols, and total fats, high in fiber and good fats such as omega-3s aside from essential vitamins, and minerals, reduced in sodium, plus have fewer calories.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that saturated fat should make up less than 7 percent of total caloric intake, trans fats less than 1 percent, cholesterol less than 300 mg per day for most people, or less than 200 milligrams a day if you have coronary heart disease or LDL cholesterol level 100 mg/dL or greater, and total fats (mostly from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats of nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils) should be less than 25 to 35 percent.

A raise in the blood cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, a type of “hardening of the arteries.” where arteries, including those to the heart, may narrow, and so reducing blood flow. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol more than anything else in the diet.

Fiber, especially soluble (or viscous) fiber, should be included in heart healthy recipes because it can actually help to lower blood cholesterol. You can find it in foods such as cereal grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (including beans, peas, and lentils). Plant stanols or plant sterols in food products such as cholesterol-lowering margarines may also lower your blood cholesterol.

Heart healthy recipes should also be low in salt (sodium chloride) and other forms of sodium, because salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). By cutting back on salt, you’ll probably lessen your taste for it over time. Limit your consumption to no more than 6 grams (about 1 teaspoon) of table salt – that equals 2.4 grams of sodium – a day.

Because overweight and obesity increase the risk of hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes, which in turn increase the risk of heart disease, it is important to keep a healthy weight by calculating the calories in your heart healthy recipes. The amount of calorie you take in through your diet that’s best for you depend largely on your height, weight, activities and whether or not you have to lose pounds. However it should not exceed the amount you expend through body metabolism and physical activities.

To calculate your heart healthy recipes’ calories, it’s important to know that protein and carbohydrate have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram. So, a recipe containing 500 calories, for example, may consist of about 20 grams of fats and 80 grams of carbohydrates and protein.

In accordance with (AHA) recommendation, heart healthy recipes should:

· consist of all of the food groups, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and fish,

· limit ingredients high in calories but low in nutrients,

· preferably baking, broiling, or grilling lean meats and fish,

· substitute a whole egg with two egg whites