Are you eating for heart health? This list of heart healthy foods will help you. What you put into your body is going to affect your overall health. Eat foods that aren’t good for you and you’ll probably increase your risk of health problems, including heart disease. However, adding foods to your diet that are healthy, especially heart healthy, can help protect your body from this killer.
Exercising is important, as is meditation for stress relief, and other methods of lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease. However, these other things need to be combined with a heart healthy diet too. Here is a list of heart healthy foods you can begin adding to your diet that will make a difference in your overall health and help you lower your risk of heart disease.
Blueberries
Blueberries happen to have more antioxidants than many other fruits and vegetables, which help to eliminate free radicals, which can be destructive in the body and end up causing heart disease. They are known to help reduce the inflammation of arteries and also help to prevent blood clots from occurring in the body. Strawberries are almost as good as blueberries in this way, so adding them to your diet is a great idea too.
Nuts
Heart Healthy Nuts definitely should be on your list. Nuts like walnuts, almonds, macadamias, pistachios, and other nuts can help to reduce bad cholesterol and help to promote artery health. While they provide great health benefits, you don’t want to overdo your consumption of nuts, since they pack a lot of calories as well.
Salmon
You’ll find that salmon is one of the best types of fish to eat if you are trying follow a list of heart healthy foods. Salmon contains a high amount of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for heart health. Grill up some salmon or even chunk up cooked salmon to add to salads or pasta dishes. You get lots of flavor and great heart benefits too.
Chocolate
Of course, it’s not a great idea to tank up on milk chocolate, but dark chocolate that contains a high amount of cacao in it is excellent for your heart. It contains flavonols, which help to lower high bad cholesterol levels and can also help to lower high blood pressure. The great thing is that this dark chocolate tastes great. Eat it along or add to recipes. Top fruits with grated dark chocolate or add a bit to sauces to make them thick, rich, and tasty.
Avocados
Avocados should definitely be a part of any list of heart healthy foods. They have a lot of fat, but the fat they contain is monounsaturated fat, which is healthy for your heart. Avocados also contain chemicals that help to keep cholesterol from being absorbed into your body. They protect you against high blood pressure as well. Both of these benefits help to lower your risk of heart problems.
There are many other food items that should be on your list of heart healthy foods as well. Olive oil is a great choice, since it is high in good fats. It’s easy to cook with olive oil or to add to salads for a heart healthy boost.
Tuna is another type of fish that is high in the healthy Omega 3 fatty acids and it also includes niacin and folate. Heart healthy wines are another item to add to your list of great foods and beverages to consume. Red wine contains resveratrol, and antioxidant that keeps heart tissue from stiffening, prevents blood clots, and helps to raise good cholesterol too.
As you are cooking your meals, keep a list of heart healthy foods on hand. This way you make sure you add these foods to your diet on a regular basis. When you eat healthier, your body is definitely going to perform better. Not only will you help to better prevent heart disease, but you’ll also improve your overall health when you eat healthy foods. Start eating right and add this to a great exercise plan. Combine these things together with things like meditation for stress relief and you have a great regimen that can lower your risk of heart problems greatly.
Learn more with this wonderful webpage about healthy eating.
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