One of the first things people think about when opting to eat a heart-healthy diet is dining out in restaurants. I think eating out is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and you probably do too. So you’ll be pleased to hear that you should have no problem at all; this is one time you can have your cake and eat it too. Just follow a few simple guidelines.

Advance Planning. Most ethnic restaurants offer a wide range of heart-healthy foods on their menus. You’ll find you can eat to your heart’s content at Chinese, Japanse, Korean, Thai, Italian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants. Actually, the only places I avoid these days are French restaurants that persist in using lots of cream and butter in all their sauces. Even at that, many French restaurants are now serving foods found on the French Riviera, those prepared with a much lighter touch.

Whenever possible, check out a restaurant’s foods in advance. When you call for reservations, ask about menu selections. When you pass by a restaurant while shopping or visiting an area on business, drop in and check out the menu.

Have It Your Way! Remember that you’re the boss at any restaurant. Ask the server all the questions you need to have answered. How is this sauce prepared? What are the ingredients in that pasta dish? Let the waiter or waitress know your needs: I don’t eat butter or cream. Please bring some margarine for my bread. Let me have my salad dressing on the side. Ask the chef to saute this dish in olive oil rather than butter. Please prepare my food with as little oil as possible.

It’s a little-known fact that Chinese hosts honour their guests by lavishing much oil on their food. When dining out in a Chinese restaurant, then, ask the chef to go easy on the oil. The same goes for MSG and soy sauce in order to hold down your sodium intake especially if you need to restrict it.

Most restaurants today offer large servings in order to justify higher prices. Don’t feel shy about asking for a doggy bag so you don’t eat the whole thing.

When travelling, don’t leave your heart-healthy habits at home. See the Appendix for guidelines on taking those habits on the road. Hotels and their restaurants today cater to those who are more health-conscious.

Problems with Bingeing. If you’re going to abandon your diet, it’s most likely going to be in a restaurant. It’s a special occasion. The sauce sounds terrific. The dessert cart creaks under its load of goodies. One thing leads to another, and before you know it you’ve consumed more fat than you’d want to eat in a week. That can be dangerous.

It’s not just a matter of falling off the wagon and renewing your efforts the next day. A very high-fat meal can be outfight dangerous for a person who has been limiting fat in the diet. Here’s why.

A particularly high-fat meal produces a sluggish blood flow. The body responds by manufacturing more of a chemical called thromboxane which facilitates blood clotting. Chest pains following a fat-laden dinner are common. And sometimes that “just this once” treat can result in a heart attack. In fact, authorities have stated unequivocally that if one has decided to go back to a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, it’s best to do so a little at a time. I find it fascinating that the body has to “gear up” to handle that fat; it makes me feel that eating a lot of fat can’t be very healthy in the first place, that to do so is unnatural.

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Cardio & Blood/ Cholesterol