One of the best ways to start the year right is to opt for a healthy lifestyle. One that incorporates a good diet, exercise (in a form that best suits your lifestyle), prayer (in whatever way you best communicate with your Maker), pets (no matter the kind), family (related and not) — you get the drift. 

There is much that goes into a good and healthy life. So, to help out and help you start a nutritious life we asked certified nutrition coach Maui Sugay Lopez to help us with a list that best suits a Pinoy diet. Here is what she shared with us. 

 “Along with regular movement and other healthy lifestyle habits, nutrition plays a key role in supporting heart health,” Maui Sugay-Lopez, certified nutrition coach, mother of three with a passion for making lives better, said  “A diet rich in whole, minimally processed food helps nourish blood vessels, manage cholesterol and support healthy blood pressure.”

Lopez shares that leafy greens such as alugbati, pechay, malunggay, kangkong and kamote tops are best for the Pinoy. These vegetables provide natural dietary nitrates that the body can convert into nitric oxide, a compound that helps blood vessels relax and improves blood flow. 

She adds, fatty fish, nuts, extra-virgin olive oil and avocados supply healthy unsaturated fats that help reduce inflammation and support healthier cholesterol levels.

“Garlic and citrus fruits also deserve a place in a heart-healthy eating pattern,” quips Lopez. “Garlic contains sulfur-containing compounds that may support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol.” 

One must not forget that citrus fruits like calamansi, dalandan, and oranges provide vitamin C. Plant compounds help protect blood vessels and reduce oxidative stress.