Top foods to keep you & your heart disease free

So let’s discuss some of the best heart healthy foods that will have a positive effect on heart health.

Oatmeal

Whole-grain oats contain a soluble fibre, beta-glucan that helps to keep the heart healthy and decrease LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Consuming oatmeal, especially coarse or steel-cut oats instead of instant varieties in your daily diet may lower the risk of heart diseases. Just add plenty of strawberries and walnuts for breakfast in your oatmeal to reap the benefits of vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Salmon

This cold-water fish is a great source of protein and super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. This nutritious fatty fish is loaded with nutrients and may reduce risk factors for several heart diseases. Mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines are some other oily fishes that will give your heart the same boost. Make sure to eat at least twice weekly.

Nuts

Nuts are full of heart-healthy nutrients and are known to be one of the best heart healthy foods. The good fats found in nuts (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) help in lowering bad cholesterol levels. One group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, omega-3 fatty acids, reduce the risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack. Include walnuts in your breakfast, chop and sprinkle them on top of a bowl of warm oatmeal along with a little honey or blueberries. Nuts, being rich in fibre, make a great snack food, they are inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go. But they are high in calories, so eat in moderation.

Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Fats can increase LDL (bad cholesterol) level in your bloodstream. But unsaturated fats, which olive oil has, improves cardiovascular risk, most likely by lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Olive oil is known to slow down the ageing of the heart. Extra-virgin olive oil contains more antioxidants than more refined olive oil and offers better protection against heart disease.

Legumes

Legumes are highly nutritious, rich in minerals and fibre. Eating legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas are an excellent source of protein without a lot of unhealthy fat. Make it a part of a heart healthy diet. This will reduce blood sugar levels which in turn prevents diabetes complications, one of which is heart disease. Legumes also lower blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease.

Dark Chocolates

Dark chocolate, when not loaded with sugar and saturated fat- is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat. People who eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolates have healthier cardiovascular systems. These chocolates have the highest amount of cocoa flavanols which help in lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart. Keep in mind that the percentage of cocoa is important. So make sure to buy the one with at least 70 percent cocoa in it to obtain the most flavanols.

Green Tea

Drinking green tea helps in lowering heart risk. Components in green tea help in protecting against atherosclerosis, which is a common cause of heart attack & stroke. It is loaded with polyphenol antioxidants, including catechin. It significantly reduces cholesterol including bad cholesterol called LDL, in blood.

Seeds

Adding seeds in your diet can help bumping up your intake of protein, fibre and heart-healthy fats. Seeds are a rich plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid which helps in lowering levels of triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol. They also reduce blood pressure and minimize the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries. Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds are all excellent sources of protein, heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Berries

Berries are bright, flavorful, and sweet superfruits which are full of antioxidant polyphenols and help to reduce heart disease risk. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries- all are a great source of fibre, folate, iron, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and they are low in fat too. All these nutrients in berries help in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol while reducing oxidative stress.

Brocolli

Green vegetables like broccoli are known to give an extra boost to your heart. Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Higher intake of fibre-rich foods like broccoli is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. It reduces cholesterol and can aid in heart health by helping to keep blood vessels strong.