Graduates of the cardiac rehab program have been educated on dietary habits that promote good health overall in addition to cardiovascular health. This type of education was provided during the rehab program. To assist in staying on track with healthy eating this section of the website reviews dietary strategies and also is a library for recipes found by, or created by the alumni group or available from public websites.

Heart Healthy Nutrition – A Nutritionist Perspective
The link below will take you directly to a recording of the main presentation made by Marissa Laughlin RHN at our October 13th Healthy Hearts Peterborough Meeting. It runs about 30 minutes. The seminar provided a wealth of practical and simple moves you can make to improve the heart health supportive aspects of your diet.
Healthy Mediterranean Diet and Recipes
Cardiac research has shown that populations who follow the Mediterranean Diet appear to live longer healthier lives with less incidence of cardiovascular disease. As always consult your healthcare team for specific advice but this diet may be a good option. You can view details of this diet as presented by the renowned Mayo Clinic by clicking the Mediterranean Diet link above. Below is a link to the pyramid that summarizes the diet.
There are a large number of Mediterranean style meals with complete recipes in the Alumni Recipes page.
Meal Planning Tool Kit – Added September 2020
Here are 21 meals along with a shopping list of ingredients for each of three weeks. These meals are based on the Mediterranean Diet. When you arrive at the page you need to click on Download the tool Kit
The challenge with eating well frequently comes down to meal planning. Most of our grads have a good general idea of what foods are more healthy than others, but putting together a meal plan and knowing what to shop for are a constant challenge.
The Heart & Stroke Society have developed a three week dinner planner which can be found at the link below, TIP: Prepare extra portions for some dinners (not to have seconds!) but to have leftovers you can use for some lunches through the week.
Meal Planner Tool Kit
Added Sugar Sources – What are the primary sources to watch out for. This information was sourced from the Harvard Medical School library.
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The DASH Diet to lower high blood pressure
There has been considerable research on how blood pressure can be modified through diet and control of sodium intake. The link below will take you to the Heart & Stroke Society pages that discuss the research and provide nutritional guidelines.
Plant Based Whole Foods Diet
Philosophically speaking we all probably agree that avoiding highly processed foods, whether they be packaged or from fast food restaurants, is better for our health. Where we may differ in our opinions is on the role of animal based foods in our diet. There is considerable evidence that suggests a whole foods, plant based diet can help us to avoid a variety of diseases. To get a rich understanding of this you may choose to view “Forks over Knives” on Netflix or you can order a download or DVD. The link below will take you to a trailer about the film.
Forks over Knives – Movie Trailer
The basic message delivered is that eating more plant based whole foods and less meat and dairy products will improve your health. How far you choose to go in avoiding meat and dairy products is a personal choice. One dietary strategy the Mediterranean Diet is discussed below. This is followed by the fully Vegan option found at the Forks over Knives website.
The Forks Over Knives whole-food, plant-based diet is centered on whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plants. It’s a diet based on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes; and it excludes or minimizes meat (including chicken and fish), dairy products, and eggs, as well as highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil.
We know that’s a mouthful! Rest assured, though, that you’ll be eating in a way that people have thrived on for thousands of years. We believe that you will find—as we do—that the diet and foods are very tasty and satisfying. Following are the food categories from which you’ll eat, along with a few examples from each. These include the ingredients you’ll be using to make familiar dishes, such as pizza, mashed potatoes, lasagna, and burritos:
- Fruit: mangoes, bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries, etc.
- Vegetables: lettuce, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, etc.
- Tubers and starchy vegetables: potatoes, yams, yucca, winter squash, corn, green peas, etc.
- Whole grains: millet, quinoa, barley, rice, whole wheat, oats, etc.
- Legumes: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, cannellini beans, black beans, etc.
The link below takes you to the website “Forks over Knives”. At the website you will find more details on the diet as well as recipes and even a weekly meal planner. Warning they do charge for the meal plans but is a minimal amount and some people will see it as enormous value.
Forks over Knives – Plant Based Whole Foods Diet
Consult a Dietitian
What ever dietary strategy you choose you may wish to seek professional health advice from a dietitian. Fortunately that help is available through Eat Right Ontario. Dietician resources are provided by Eat Right Ontario. You can call them or e-mail them using the link below;