When looking to keep your heart healthy and in good shape, your diet is key.
Heart-healthy foods can be difficult to squeeze into your diet if you have no knowledge of them, however. Thankfully, many amazing, delicious heart-healthy foods are available at any grocery store and can be added to many dishes (and even become the star dish in many cases). To get you started on your heart-healthy journey, here are eight amazing heart-healthy foods to boost your diet:
1. Berries
Some of the tastiest berries are filled with heart-healthy ingredients. Blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are “jam-packed” with anthocyanins, and vitamins that help significantly reduce stress, and which can prevent the development of heart disease. Insulin resistance and the lowering of bad cholesterols within your body are other benefits of these miracle foods and will prove incredibly helpful in getting your diet on a heart-healthy track. With the right diet, you can even look amazing for your next holiday party at work.
2. Leafy Green Vegetables
Spinach, kale, collard greens, and other delicious leafy green vegetables are completely stuffed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Vitamin K is one of the most impressive, useful aspects of leafy green vegetables, and it helps reduce blood pressure, arterial stiffness and improves the function of cells lining blood vessels. With this help, your body can easily fight off heart disease and keep you healthy. So be sure to add some delicious leafy greens to your next meal.
3. Beans
Beans are one of the most famous heart-healthy foods. The starches contained in beans such as pinto beans, black beans, and green beans have all been shown to reduce the risk of some heart diseases. Pinto beans in particular have been shown to reduce levels of blood triglycerides and LDL, making it a solid choice of side for any quality, heart-healthy meal. Beans are also fantastic at lowering your blood pressure and inflammation, which just increases their already impressively heart-healthy effects.
4. Oily Fish
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most heart-healthy elements you can gain from foods, and oily fishes (such as salmon) are absolutely packed with them. Omega-3 is linked to lower levels of cholesterol and blood triglycerides and can help systolic blood pressure as well. Frequent fish consumption will lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and depression, so a nice oily fish-centric dish is perfect for both bright summer days and chilly winter nights.
5. Dark Chocolate
Chocolate is usually far from peoples’ minds when they are trying to think of heart-healthy foods, but there are in fact some forms of chocolate that can be quite heart-healthy (in moderation that is). Having small doses of dark chocolate will decrease your risk of diabetes, strokes, and coronary heart diseases significantly. Be sure to go with dark chocolate that has a cocoa content of at least 70%, as these will provide the largest, most noticeable heart-healthy benefits.
6. Tomatoes
Lycopene is packed into tomatoes in a miraculous manner, making it one of mother nature’s greatest gifts to healthy eaters. The amazing taste and versatility of tomatoes just add to the sweet deal, as tomatoes are a key ingredient in many Americans’ favorite foods. However, fresh, uncooked tomato is one of the best ways to benefit from the many health benefits tomatoes have, including the way it helps remove cholesterol issues which lead to heart problems, heartburn, and other issues. Tomatoes are a solid alternative to some antacid medications, which have been shown more frequently to be linked to health problems. Zantac caused a huge scandal after it was linked to increasing the chance of developing cancers, so if you were on Zantac and have found yourself diagnosed with a harmful disease, contact the knowledgeable, professional lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers so you can find the restitution you deserve (rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/news/average-zantac-lawsuit-payout).
7. Whole Grains
Whole-grain foods are stellar for your immune system and heart health. Brown rice, barley, rye, quinoa, and other whole-grain products can spice up a meal, and add a filling, heart-healthy element to a dish. The refined carbohydrates in non-whole-grain products can actually increase the risk of coronary heart disease, while whole grains are actually protective in fighting off heart disease. So next time you’re looking to add some wheat and bread products into your diet, consider grabbing a whole-grain alternative.
8. Avocados
One of the tastiest (and most trendy) foods on this list, avocados provide plenty of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which are linked directly to lowering cholesterol levels which will, in turn, decrease your risk of heart disease. The reduction of LDL that avocados can provide is critical as well in giving yourself a heart-healthy diet. One avocado alone can supply 975 milligrams of potassium. Thankfully, avocado, like tomato, is incredibly versatile and can really boost a dish’s flavor while providing healthy fats.
Heart-Healthy Dishes are Waiting for You
Understanding how to make dishes with these heart-healthy food items is key in your journey toward a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, the dishes available are nearly endless, so you’ll have plenty of options to try. With a healthy heart, you’ll be alive long enough to find many amazing dishes that will soon become a favorite. Additionally, you have the option to take supplements to improve heart health.
