Hmmm ... today I am having one of those days! Almost everything has gone wrong, except remarkably, that despite leaving the iron on all day, the house didn?t burn down. Not even a whiff of smoke in fact ? thank God! Despite this miraculous stroke of luck, today definitely falls into the stressful category and it?s not having a good effect on me. I just tried to put that iron away in the fridge after all, so things can?t be good!

Now sometimes stress is preventable and sometimes it?s not. You all know that I?m a big fan of minimising stress ? especially as we?ve been focusing on healthy hearts for the last month. But even when unexpected stressful events occur, there is still so much you can do to minimise the destructive impact they can have on your body. The key of course, is to eat healthily.

The recipe below gives you a great example of a meal you can prepare quickly, that provides you with nutrients that help protect your body from stress and that contribute directly to a healthy heart. Salmon is a rich source of the good Omega 3 fats that help to reduce cholesterol. The Ducktrap smoked salmon is actually much lower in total fat than ordinary smoked salmon, because it?s wild and therefore leaner. However, the Omega 3 content is still good and the bonus is that it doesn?t contain the same chemical level as farmed fish. And, despite the fact it?s wild, this salmon actually runs at a very similar cost to normal smoked salmon. A bargain in Bermuda? Surely not!

The dark green salad leaves and sprouted seeds and beans provide a great source of fibre and B vitamins. Fibre is important for lowering cholesterol and B vitamins help to deactivate damaging homocysteine. In addition, the celery helps to lower blood pressure. Finally, the dressing ingredients all give the salad great flavour, without the added sugars and hydrogenated fats that are so common in mainstream brands.

So, try out this recipe as part of a heart healthy diet, but especially on those stressful days. I usually follow this with red grapes or fresh fruit salad to provide essential carbs and lots of antioxidants!

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified Clinical Nutritionist. She can be contacted on 291 4725 or clinicalnutritiongmail.com