St. Mary’s Cardiac Experts Recommend Reducing Sugar, Salt and Fat
for Better Heart Health
Note – There will be interview opportunities during the morning of Monday, March 3.
February 28, 2014 (Kitchener) – More than 200 people learned last night how they can be
kind to their hearts and improve their health by reducing consumption of three processed
food staples – sugar, fat and salt.
An event called The Truth about Sugar, Fat and Salt, presented by the St. Mary’s Regional
Cardiac Care Centre, highlighted how high levels of three ingredients that are typical in
North American diets have led to an increase in obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
“High sugar diets can contribute to obesity and increased triglyceride levels (a type of fat in
the blood), which are both risk factors for diabetes and heart disease,” says Dr. Murray
Pearce, Medical Director of the Cardiac Program at St. Mary’s. “Trans fats in many
processed foods also increase heart disease risk by increasing bad cholesterol and
decreasing good cholesterol,” he said.
Registered Dietitian Janice Holley, who works with heart patients at St. Mary’s, told the
audience, “our taste buds have been trained from decades of eating highly refined sugary
foods with extra fats and high sodium to think that’s how food should taste.”
Holley explained the link between heart disease and over consumption of sugar, fat and
salt. She outlined targets for daily intake and how to read Nutrition Fact labels to make
educated choices. Holley also presented tips (see below) to cut the amount of sugar fat and
salt in your diet and retrain your taste buds.
“It takes about three weeks to get accustomed to the natural flavor of foods, and, once you
do, you won’t enjoy highly processed foods in the same way,” says Holley.
The event’s theme was in recognition of Heart Month and is timely with the launch of
National Nutrition Month on March 1.
-30Contact:
Anne Kelly
Communications Specialist
519-749-6578, ext. 1501
226-339-1903 (mobile)
[email protected]
St. Mary’s vision is to be the safest and most effective hospital in Canada, characterized by
innovation, compassion and respect. St. Mary’s is an adult, acute care hospital and Regional Cardiac
Care Centre located in the heart of Kitchener, Ontario.
www.smgh.ca
Top 10 Tips to Cut the Sugar, Fat and Salt
1) Choose single ingredient foods
 your best guarantee that you’re missing out on added sugar, salt and fat
 all natural nut butters like peanut, almond, and cashew are great examples…they’re
just nuts
 olive oil and canola oil daily for food prep and recipes
 milk products that are either fat free (skim) or low fat (<2% M.F. milk fat)
2) Read Nutrition Fact Labels
 Trans fat target = 0 g per serving
 Sugar target = less than 10 g per serving
 Sodium target = less than 200 mg per serving
3) Choose fresh
 for the most flavour, eat seasonally and buy locally when possible
 limit canned, frozen and packaged ready-to-eat deli-counter foods
4) Choose whole
 whole fruits and vegetables in place of juices
 whole grains including 100% whole wheat, couscous, bulgur (cracked wheat), wheat
bran, rye, barley, spelt, oats, oat bran, flaxseed
 other grains like quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, amaranth, millet
5) Choose lean
 fresh, lean cuts of meat such as tenderloin, sirloin, eye of round, and skinless poultry
such as chicken and turkey breast (avoid all breaded, batter-coated and seasoned)
 wild, ocean fish at least twice a week such as salmon, trout, bluefin tuna or albacore
white tuna
6) Choose plant
 all kinds of beans such as kidney, navy, black, pinto, lima, soy, Mexican red
 dried split peas, lentils, chickpeas
 raw unsalted nuts like walnuts, almonds, pecans, peanuts and seeds including
sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, hemp, chia
 fruits and vegetables
 avocado sliced in sandwiches, chopped in salads, mashed for dips/spreads
7) Choose colour
 flavonoid rich blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, red plums, black
plums, red grapes, red onions, red cabbage
 fiber and anti-oxidant rich oranges, red/yellow/orange/green sweet peppers, dates,
raisins, prunes
St. Mary’s vision is to be the safest and most effective hospital in Canada, characterized by
innovation, compassion and respect. St. Mary’s is an adult, acute care hospital and Regional Cardiac
Care Centre located in the heart of Kitchener, Ontario.
www.smgh.ca
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carotenoid rich squash, sweet potato, tomato, carrots, spinach, brussel sprouts,
beets and broccoli
dark greens like kale, spinach, swiss chard, bok choy, romaine
8) Keep it simple for flavour
 regular staples for your grocery cart should include whole lemons, limes, whole
peppercorns, fresh ginger, garlic, onion , cinnamon
 herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill, basil, oregano and mint add flavour and
phytonutrients; add any of these last-minute additions just before serving
9) Follow the plate method for portion control and balance
*adapted from Canadian Diabetes
Association
10)
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Learn to love whole foods
Think about what healthy eating is to you; you’re not doing this for anyone other
than yourself, so YOU need to value the health benefits to stick to it.
Developing your passion for fresh whole foods is a process not a project!
For more heart healthy nutrition information and recipes, choose credible
resources:
 www.sodium101.ca
 www.nutritionaction.com
 www.dietitians.ca
 www.eatright.org
 www.healthcastle.com
St. Mary’s vision is to be the safest and most effective hospital in Canada, characterized by
innovation, compassion and respect. St. Mary’s is an adult, acute care hospital and Regional Cardiac
Care Centre located in the heart of Kitchener, Ontario.
www.smgh.ca