A healthy diet and a healthy heart go hand in hand. Eating a well-balanced diet filled with heart healthy foods can ensure your heart is in great shape and your risk of heart disease is minimized.
The foods in your mouth affect every part of your body, including your heart. Therefore, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is essential to heart health. One should eat a balance of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and heart-healthy proteins like fish, poultry, and nuts. Studies have shown that specific foods can improve your heart health. Look at the top ten foods you should add to your grocery list.
1. Avocadoes – Avocadoes are rich in monounsaturated fat, which has been shown to reduce dangerous cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition to healthy fats, avocadoes are rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure and the risk of a stroke. One avocado can reduce the risk of a stroke by 15 percent. Avocadoes also help lower the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions, including excess body fat in the abdominal area, high glucose levels, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which increase the risk of heart disease.
2. Berries—Berries, including strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, are filled with antioxidants that eradicate oxidative stress and reduce inflammation. Oxidative stress occurs when the body is exposed to toxins in the air, water, soil, and foods when alcohol or tobacco products are used, certain medications are taken, and when diets are filled with processed foods, sugars, and fats. Consuming these heart-healthy berries reduces harmful cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, decreases inflammation, and helps control clotting.
3. Dark chocolate—Dark chocolate is not only delicious but can also help protect against cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. It contains flavonoids that improve heart health by reducing the amount of plaque in the blood vessels. When choosing dark chocolate for your heart health, look for one with at least 70 percent cocoa. Chocolate can be high in calories and sugar; therefore, you must ensure you do not overindulge and counteract its benefits.
4. Fatty fish, including mackerel, salmon, tuna, and sardines, are filled with heart-healthy omega fatty acids. Eating fatty fish three times a week can lower diastolic blood pressure, reduce triglycerides, decrease cholesterol, and improve fasting glucose levels. Additionally, consuming fatty fish can help decrease the risk of high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, all of which increase the risk of heart disease. If you cannot eat three servings of fish weekly, a fish oil supplement will provide the fish oils needed to promote heart health. Fish oil supplements improve arterial function, lower blood pressure, and reduce triglyceride levels.
5. Garlic—Garlic has been used for centuries to relieve various ailments naturally. The allicin in garlic reduces blood pressure, decreases cholesterol readings, and reduces platelet buildup in the blood vessels, which can reduce the risk of developing blood clots or having a stroke. Studies have shown that consuming garlic raw can lower blood pressure, as can certain prescription blood pressure medications.
6. Green, leafy vegetables—Green vegetables like collard greens, kale, and spinach are filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These delicious veggies are an excellent source of vitamin K, which protects blood vessels and helps prevent arterial stiffening. These vegetables have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease by improving the lining of the blood vessels and promoting proper blood clotting. Finally, green, leafy vegetables help lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
7. Olive Oil— Olive oil is a healthy fat that decreases inflammation and the risk of chronic diseases. The monounsaturated fat in this delicious oil improves heart health and reduces the risk of dying from heart disease by almost 50 percent. Olive oil also contains antioxidants and healthy fats that lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels.
8. Tea—Tea, especially green tea, offers numerous heart-health benefits. Drinking tea increases your body's fat-burning potential and improves insulin sensitivity. The catechins and polyphenols reduce inflammation and prevent damage to your heart's cells. When green tea is consumed, cholesterol levels and triglycerides begin to decrease. Finally, green tea can help lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
9. Tomatoes – Tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene neutralizes free radicals, decreases inflammation, and prevents oxidative stress. Lycopene has been associated with a much lower risk of stroke or cardiovascular disease. Eating two raw tomatoes several times a week can raise your good cholesterol levels, which can help remove plaque and cholesterol from the arteries to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
10. Whole grains—Whole grains like oats, quinoa, buckwheat, whole wheat, barley, brown rice, and rye contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. These foods help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels, decreasing blood pressure readings, and reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. They also reduce the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs through foods and help regulate glucose levels, which can help minimize the risk of heart damage.
A healthy diet and a healthy heart go hand in hand. The foods you eat can either improve your cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood pressure levels or harm them. The heart-healthy foods above help lower systemic inflammation and improve arterial function and heart health. A well-balanced diet filled with heart-healthy foods can ensure your heart is in great shape and your risk of heart disease is minimized.
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