A healthy heart, a happy life

This year the message is clear, preventative care is better than treatment and to decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease is not as complicated as you might think.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading killer in South Africa and September is the perfect opportunity to reflect on your lifestyle as well as the lifestyle of your family.

Following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and being aware of risk factors such as smoking, drinking, taking drugs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and stress can reduce your chances of developing a heart condition.

If you suspect your habits are impacting on your or your family’s well-being, do not wait until tomorrow, act now.

One of the biggest changes you can make is to change the food that fuels you, preventing any long-term health risks associated with an unhealthy diet, being overweight and obese.

This doesn’t mean cutting out all of your favourite foods, going on a crash diet or starving yourself, rather opt for a lifestyle eating programme that can be sustained for the rest of your life.

Here is a recipe, from The Diet Everyone Talks About, which is easy, delicious and nutritious.

This healthy Yoghurt Chicken recipe serves 6-8 people:

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken pieces, skinned
• 25ml canola oil/ olive oil/ butter
• 250ml onion finely chopped
• 25ml Paprika
• Salt and freshly ground pepper – to taste
• One garlic clove crushed
• 250ml chicken stock
• 250ml Bulgarian yoghurt
• 50ml lemon juice
• Optional: 15ml chopped green pepper

Method

• Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
• Brown both sides in the heated oil.
• Remove chicken from pan and put aside.
• Turn down heat and sauté onions and garlic in the same pan until translucent.
• Add stock and paprika bringing to the boil.
• Put chicken pieces back; add lemon juice and lower heat.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Cook without lid for last five minutes.
• Add some of the hot liquid to the yoghurt.
• Add that carefully to the dish.
• Serve immediately.

For more information about The Diet Everyone Talks About visit www.the-diet.co.za