American College of Cardiology

• Eat a well-balanced and varied diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Getting that many servings a day is easier than you think. An eight-ounce glass of orange juice or grapefruit juice, for example, equals one serving and is fat-free and cholesterol-free.
• Be sure you're getting antioxidants. Scientists believe antioxidants may counteract the harmful molecules called "free radicals," which may contribute to the onset of heart disease. "A diet rich in antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene and folate is preferable to taking nutritional supplements," says Marian Limacher, MD, FACC, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. Antioxidants can be found in orange juice, grapefruit juice, green tea, broccoli, beets, tomatoes, and berries.
• Eat high-fiber foods, aiming for a total fiber intake of 25-30 grams per day. Beans, oats, fruit such as oranges and grapefruit, and vegetables are all good sources.
• Use skim or 1 percent milk.
• If you have high blood pressure, discuss salt in your diet with your physician.
• Use nonfat and low-fat cooking techniques like grilling, broiling, baking, steaming, or poaching. For healthier sautéing, instead of fats or oils use nonstick spray, broth or orange juice, which enhances the flavor.
• For women in good health, follow the American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations: Less than 30 percent of daily calories from fat, 8 to 10 percent from saturated fat and less than 300 mg/d cholesterol.
• Have no more than one glass of alcohol per day (1 glass = 4 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer, or 1 1/2 oz. of 80 proof spirits).

Recipes

Richmond Chicken
Serves 4
3/4 cup frozen Florida orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 tsp. dried oregano or basil, crushed
Dash pepper
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound total)
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In a large nonstick skillet, combine thawed concentrate, oregano and dash pepper. Rinse chicken; place in skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
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Remove chicken, reserving juice mixture. Place chicken on the unheated rack of a broiler pan lined with foil. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 minutes. Turn and brush with reserved juice mixture. Broil 2 minutes more or until golden and no pink remains.
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Nutrition facts per serving: Calories 206; Protein 23 g; Carbohydrate 20 g; Total fat 3 g; Saturated fat 1 g; Cholesterol 59 mg; Dietary fiber 0 g; Sodium 55 mg; Daily values: Vitamin C 90 percent; Folic acid 11 percent; Thiamine 83 percent; Niacin 45 percent; Potassium 15 percent