Chicken, is it good for you? How do heart patients prepare or cook healthy chicken? You will not see any discount coupons for a bucket of KFC at your cardiologist office, but chicken can be a healthy and tasty food choice for heart patients. I have mostly overlooked discussing chicken as a part of my diet. Recently I got an inquiry about how does chicken need to be cooked or prepared for a heart patient. We should take time to talk about the health benefits of eating chicken.
I eat chicken breast only. No dark meat, and I know there are supposedly health benefits of the dark meat. The dark chicken meat I have eaten has all tasted greasy and just was not what I consider something I would want to be part of a low cholesterol diet. Now back to the chicken breast, always must be skinless. You can buy it that way or remove the skin yourself. We always buy skinless and boneless chicken breast. Chicken is a very good source of protein, a 4 oz. serving providing almost 70% of your daily protein needs. Chicken breast contain less than half the fat of premium grade T-bone steak, and the chicken fat is far less saturated than beef fat. Chicken is high in vitamin B6 and the essential trace mineral selenium.
There are several ways you can prepare skinless chicken breast. They can be grilled, barbecued, baked, or boiled. At least those are the ways we cook chicken breast. Baked chicken served with a green vegetable and a salad. Grilled or boiled sliced chicken added to a large dinner salad. Barbecued chicken breast on a shish-ka-bob with grilled onion, and mushrooms. All of these methods are some of our favorites and add to a healthy meal.
Edible mushrooms also include several health benefits. They contain zero cholesterol and actually help reduce cholesterol as they are digested. Mushrooms are high in powerful antioxidants which combat free radicals. Mushrooms are the only vegetable to contain edible vitamin D. The only other food source of vitamin D being cod liver oil. I eat cooked mushrooms, adding to other compatible foods. I do not eat raw mushrooms as a matter of taste preference.
My cardiologist is satisfied that my low blood pressure has now adjusted itself to acceptable levels since taking me off of one of my medications Norvasc. I seem to be leveling off in the 120-130 over 90 range. Honestly it is somewhat of a disappointment to me. It certainly is better than some of the very low pressure and associated symptoms I was experiencing. My disappointment is I am having spikes to the 150 range. I am not convinced my cardiologist has made the right decision. With as much as I exercise, as healthy of a diet, my body weight being where it should be and me still taking medications I think mine is now too high considering all of those factors.
Thank you :)
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