Your body is highly influenced by the food you put in your plate. A heart-healthy diet helps you prevent heart disease and improves cholesterol and blood pressure.
Incorporating these 12 heart-friendly foods in your nutritious diet can help to keep your heart in shape and well functioning.
1. Green Leafy Vegetable
A diet rich in leaf greens are helpful in lowering cardiac risk and reduces high blood pressure.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale or collard greens are rich in vitamins, especially vitamin K, minerals and antioxidants that help to decrease heart diseases.
The benefits of green leafy vegetables are not just limited to heart health, they also help to prevent many types of cancer and strengthen bones.
2. Berries
Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are rich in antioxidants like anthomycin that protect the blood vessels. It helps reduce oxidative stress and inflammation that contribute to the development of heart disease.
Keep fresh berries on your plate for maximum benefits and avoid berry-flavoured yogurt or baked muffins.
3. Whole Grains
Barely, oats, wheat, brown rice and other whole grains are rich in fibre that helps to lower cholesterol levels and protects against coronary artery disease that majorly leads to heart attacks.
Whole grains are the best cardiac diet as they naturally lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies have also shown improvements in systolic blood pressure with consistent use of whole grains.
4. Fish & Fish Oil
Fatty fish is a top food for heart health. Salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 that significantly reduceses blood pressure and improve heart rhythm disorder. Recommendation according to American heart association is one -two servings of fatty fish per week.
If You Don’t Eat Seafood It Would Be Wise To Choose Fish Oil.
Baked fish with herbs is always a better choice. You can also include baked fish in salads or tacos.
5. Walnuts
A handful of walnuts are another source of omega-3, healthy fats, plant sterols and fibre. Replacing fried snacks with walnuts can help in lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels.
Try to consume walnuts soaked overnight as it will make them easy to digest as well as keep your throat moist.
6. Beans
Eating beans is a part of heart-healthy diet as it consists of folate, antioxidants and magnesium that helps to lower blood pressure. Black beans are highly pumped with fibre that regulates blood sugar levels.
Add more beans to your salads and soups to make them healthy and heart-friendly.
7. Dark Chocolate
Flavonoid-rich dark chocolate is a very healthy food for the heart that helps to lower the risk of heart disease.
Remember while consuming chocolate, eat in moderation for health benefits, not to satisfy your sweet tooth.
8. Seeds
Chia seeds, flaxseed and hemp seeds are a good sources of healthy nutrients, vitamins, potassium and omega-3. These are easy to digest proteins with healthy fats.
Adding seeds to your diet can improve blood pressure, insulin, cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
9. Almonds
Almonds are incredible heart-healthy food enriched with vitamins and minerals.
These are pumped with monounsaturated fats and fibre that lower triglycerides and LDL levels. These also helps to loose belly fat and lowers the risk of heart disease.
10. Green Tea
World known benefits of green tea are belly fat burning and improving insulin sensitivity. It provide antioxidants, reduces oxidative stress and lowers LDL to improve cardiac health.
Green teas are high in polyphenols and catechins that also supports lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure
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