Magazine offers heart-healthy tips

This month, Woman’s Day magazine offers meal swaps that help women concerned with their heart health.

¢ For breakfast, instead of corn flakes with 2 percent milk, try a whole-oat cereal with fat-free milk and a glass of orange juice. Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that lowers total and “bad” LDL cholesterol. Couple it with a glass of orange juice for a healthy dose of potassium, which helps offset the effects sodium has on blood pressure.

¢ Instead of waffles with butter and syrup, try flaxseed waffles topped with strawberries.

¢ Or, for lunch, instead of a chef’s salad, try a grilled chicken and spinach salad. Mix bay spinach, grilled skinless chicken breast, mandarin oranges and red onions for a meal that’s rich in lean protein and healthy vitamins and minerals. Top it with a little olive oil and red-wine vinegar.

¢ Instead of a cheeseburger, try a black bean veggie burger with salsa and sliced avocado.