This festive season, the Heart Foundation is encouraging Australians, including those in Brimbank, to consider their hearts when feasting.
Holiday time can be difficult for people who are working to protect their health by steering clear of sugar, alcohol and saturated fat.
Heart Foundation senior dietitian Jemma O’Hanlon shared five ‘Holiday Heart Hacks’ to help Australians satisfy their tastebuds while keeping healthy.
Her five hacks are:
• Add canned pears in place of butter for a better Christmas pudding
• Fuel up at the start of the day
• Make time for exercise now, not in the New Year
• Load up on healthy foods before end-of-year functions
• Fill your platters with lots of fresh produce
Ms O’Hanlon also called on Australians to support ongoing heart research and programs that help people understand and adopt healthy habits.
“The aim is to keep families together so they can enjoy each other’s company during important times like the holiday season,” she said.
“Sadly, cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest killers of Australians, and yet it is mostly preventable through physical activity and nutrition.
“That’s why our final tip this holiday season is for Aussies to make a donation to the Heart Foundation either from themselves or on behalf of their loved ones as part of holiday campaign.
“The types of research that are funded by this support have the potential to drive incredible advances in the prevention, treatment and management of cardiovascular disease.”
For recipes: www.heartfoundation.org.au/search/“christmas”
Details: www.heartfoundation.org.au/
