If we start listing the number of food items that are good for your heart, it would take ages. So for your convenience, we have grouped all the best foods together to give you a better idea of what you should be eating if you want a healthy heart. But first, let’s talk about what you need to stay away from. The fast food industry is thriving and that is not good if you’re looking out for healthier eating solutions. Fast food is the major cause of not only obesity, but also many ailments associated with the heart. So stay away from fast food as much as possible. Here is a list of foods that you can eat to ensure a healthier heart:
1. Eat Fish Regularly
Fish contains important Omega 3 fats which help in keeping the heart healthy. These are a rich source of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenioc acid (DHA), which are known as heart protective acids; these reduce irregular heartbeats along with stabilizing the cholesterol level. Legumes or dried peas and beans help reducing the chances of heart diseases in a number of ways.
Apart from preventing heart disease they also prevent diabetes. They help in lowering the blood pressure and cholesterol, which in turn reduces the chances of cardiac arrest. Lastly, consuming nuts twice or thrice a week is also good for the health and wellness, these also prevent many of the heart ailments, which the human body tends to develop.
2. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol. “It acts as a sponge in the digestive tract and soaks up the cholesterol so it is eliminated from the body and not absorbed into the bloodstream,” says Lauren Graf, a registered dietician and co-director of the Cardiac Wellness Program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
Graf recommends avoiding instant oatmeal, which often contains sugar, and heading instead for old-fashioned or even quick-cooking oats. Other whole grains such as bread, pasta and grits are also good for the heart as long as they still contain the entire grain.
3. Dark Chocolate
Several studies have now shown that dark chocolate may benefit your heart, including one in 2012 that found that daily chocolate consumption could reduce nonfatal heart attacks and stroke in people at high risk for these problems. The findings applied only to dark chocolate, meaning chocolate made up of at least 60-70% cocoa.
Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called polyphenols, which may help blood pressure, clotting, and inflammation. Unfortunately, milk chocolate and most candy bars don’t make the grade when it comes to protecting your heart.
4. Eat More Vegetables
Incorporating more and more vegetables into your daily routine is very healthy for the heart. One must mend their dietary pattern in such a manner that vegetables are included in all three meals in a day.
These have low calorie count as well as little or almost nonexistent fat in them which reduce the chances of getting obese, therefore no cholesterol troubles. Intake of vegetable salads with lots of different kinds of vegetables keeps helps streamline the cardiac functions with enhancing the blood flow.
5. Eat More Fruits
Fruits should also be taken at least twice a day, especially in the breakfast and as a snack during the day to provide you with energy to get going.
Fruits with fiber and vitamin C are very beneficial for the human body; along with this fruits bring in a lot of other benefits to the body and the heart more importantly. Red fruits and vegetables help to make blood in the human body.