According to a press statement released by Pharma Dynamics, more than 61% of South African adults are overweight, and 6.3 million suffer from hypertension – a precursor for heart disease and other serious illness. With statistics like these, following a healthy lifestyle and eating plan is something everyone should strive for.

“GPs and pharmacies across the country will act as the main distribution points for the printed version of which there are only a limited number of copies, but various electronic formats of the recipe book have also been created making it ideal for tablets and mobile phones, which can be downloaded via cookingfromtheheart.co.za or heartrecipes.mobi,” she says.

All the new Cooking from the Heart recipes were carefully selected to suit SA’s diverse palate and modified to fit a diet that is lower in unhealthy fats, salt and sugar without compromising on taste. The recipes were all developed by well-known food consultant, Heleen Meyer, alongside a team of dieticians from the HSF.

The cookbook also offers practical ‘swap it’ tips such as replacing salt with fresh herbs and spices  or lemon for flavour and provides useful health advice including how to eat more fibre, interpret food labels correctly, pack healthier lunchboxes and cook more healthily.

Van Aswegen stressed the importance of preventative measures, instead of curative where you address problems as they pop up. “If one considers the overwhelming 74% being spent on curative treatments annually, compared to the limited amount of healthcare spend going to preventative measures, there is a serious wellness case for healthy living,” she says. “Chronic diseases account for up to 40% of adult deaths in South Africa, where most people have at least one modifiable risk factor for chronic disease. If left untreated, chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension can bring on potentially fatal conditions at any time. But the paradox of the chronic disease burden is that it can be lifted if we tackle obesity – of which nutrition plays a vital role.”

Dr Vash Mungal-Singh, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation echoed van Aswegen’s remarks, pointing out how as South Africa we are consuming excessive amounts of highly processed foods, which has led to us being the third most obese nation in the world.

“Many South Africans are eating too much and highly processed foods are among the culprits,” he said in the statement. “These foods are usually energy-dense, high in unhealthy fats, sugar and salt. As things stand, the country’s health statistics are shocking, yet people continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle. We all know the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ and it’s often a challenge to choose food that is good for you and tasty at the same time, but eating right for heart health is good for everyone. Cooking from the Heart has been created specifically for South Africans to make eating right less of a chore. It serves as a practical tool to guide the nation to healthier cooking and eating.

“We want to help families eat nutritious meals that are full of flavour, from breakfasts and lunches to on-the-go snacks and suppers with a difference. Signature dishes in the new edition include creamy oats with cinnamon and fruit, apple and banana muffins, spicy pan breakfast and crispy chicken strips, which really makes Cooking from the Heart, the ultimate heart-healthy cookbook,” says Dr Mungal-Singh.

To access the recipes, go to cookingfromtheheart.co.za or heartrecipes.mobi.

According to a press statement released by Pharma Dynamics, more than 61% of South African adults are overweight, and 6.3 million suffer from hypertension – a precursor for heart disease and other serious illness. With statistics like these, following a healthy lifestyle and eating plan is something everyone should strive for.

“GPs and pharmacies across the country will act as the main distribution points for the printed version of which there are only a limited number of copies, but various electronic formats of the recipe book have also been created making it ideal for tablets and mobile phones, which can be downloaded via cookingfromtheheart.co.za or heartrecipes.mobi,” she says.

All the new Cooking from the Heart recipes were carefully selected to suit SA’s diverse palate and modified to fit a diet that is lower in unhealthy fats, salt and sugar without compromising on taste. The recipes were all developed by well-known food consultant, Heleen Meyer, alongside a team of dieticians from the HSF.

The cookbook also offers practical ‘swap it’ tips such as replacing salt with fresh herbs and spices  or lemon for flavour and provides useful health advice including how to eat more fibre, interpret food labels correctly, pack healthier lunchboxes and cook more healthily.

Van Aswegen stressed the importance of preventative measures, instead of curative where you address problems as they pop up. “If one considers the overwhelming 74% being spent on curative treatments annually, compared to the limited amount of healthcare spend going to preventative measures, there is a serious wellness case for healthy living,” she says. “Chronic diseases account for up to 40% of adult deaths in South Africa, where most people have at least one modifiable risk factor for chronic disease. If left untreated, chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension can bring on potentially fatal conditions at any time. But the paradox of the chronic disease burden is that it can be lifted if we tackle obesity – of which nutrition plays a vital role.”

Dr Vash Mungal-Singh, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation echoed van Aswegen’s remarks, pointing out how as South Africa we are consuming excessive amounts of highly processed foods, which has led to us being the third most obese nation in the world.

“Many South Africans are eating too much and highly processed foods are among the culprits,” he said in the statement. “These foods are usually energy-dense, high in unhealthy fats, sugar and salt. As things stand, the country’s health statistics are shocking, yet people continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle. We all know the phrase ‘you are what you eat’ and it’s often a challenge to choose food that is good for you and tasty at the same time, but eating right for heart health is good for everyone. Cooking from the Heart has been created specifically for South Africans to make eating right less of a chore. It serves as a practical tool to guide the nation to healthier cooking and eating.

“We want to help families eat nutritious meals that are full of flavour, from breakfasts and lunches to on-the-go snacks and suppers with a difference. Signature dishes in the new edition include creamy oats with cinnamon and fruit, apple and banana muffins, spicy pan breakfast and crispy chicken strips, which really makes Cooking from the Heart, the ultimate heart-healthy cookbook,” says Dr Mungal-Singh.

To access the recipes, go to cookingfromtheheart.co.za or heartrecipes.mobi.