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WHATS GOOD FOR OVERALL HEARTH HEALTH? |
Published: 15/04/09 |
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Eat to Your Heart's Content
News flash: A heart-healthy diet doesn't have to be bland and boring. In fact, there are so many delicious, healthy foods that your heart loves, you probably won't miss the handful of aging foods you have to cut back on. And before you know it, you could have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and more stable blood sugar. You may even drop a few pounds.
I've taken this approach and applied it to using new and different cooking techniques as well as trying new options of healthy foods and superfoods. Just pick a few new ingredients on monthly trips to the grocery store, work them in and stick with the ones you really like. Recommended choices are organics and fresh vegetables. Cooking from scratch eliminates all the processing that foods go through on their way to the store, so it's a good health decision to go generic and make your own dishes and comfort foods. Good news about these principles: I use them regularly and my blood pressure is very good and I do not have diabetes either.
3 Nutrients Your Heart Craves
Ready to begin your diet journey to a stronger heart and younger arteries? Excellent! Here's a list of some of the key nutrients you'll need to take along with you:
1. Factor In More Flavonoids
Research suggests that flavonoids -- antioxidants that clamp down on inflammation -- are important nutrients that protect your arteries and heart. To get them, heap your plate high with fresh fruit (like strawberries), antioxidant-rich veggies (like eggplant and spinach), beans (find out which color beans have the most flavonoids), and tea. And good news for those of you who like small indulgences: Red wine and dark chocolate -- in moderation -- also pack flavonoids. Here's a tool to help you find the best food sources of flavonoids.
2. Fill Up on Fiber
Dietary fiber is quite the heart-healthy multitasker. From stabilizing blood sugar, to lowering bad cholesterol, to reducing high blood pressure, fiber works overtime in your body to stomp out heart disease risk factors. Increase your fiber intake by loading up on whole grains from cereals and breads, fresh fruits and veggies, and legumes. Watch this video to learn how fiber helps your digestive health, too.
3. Eat More Fat
The good kind, that is. Your heart likes plenty of unsaturated fats in the diet, like those found in olive oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocado, and freshwater fish like trout and salmon. (Find out why a bit of avocado may help stifle your hunger.) To keep calorie counts in check, use these healthy-fat foods in place of other high-calorie, less heart-friendly fats -- like saturated fats (found in whole-fat dairy products and red meat) and trans fats (found in fried foods and some processed or frozen foods). Check out these nifty appetizer recipes that are good sources of unsaturated fat.
And a Few Things to Avoid . . .
While you're adding all those delicious, heart-healthy foods to your diet, here are a few items you'll want to cut back on:
* Salt. Your blood pressure will thank you. Instead, try herbs and spices, such as pepper, garlic, onion, dill, basil, and cilantro. Lemon juice makes a tasty salt substitute, too. Read this article to find out some of the sneaky places sodium can hide.
* Sugar. Since it's high in calories and not nutrient rich, it's not really doing your heart any favors -- and it's probably adding to your waistline. Learn how to fake it with sugar substitutes.
* Fried foods and red meat. This will help you cut back on both calories and saturated fat. Instead, opt for steamed, baked, grilled, or broiled meats, fish, veggies, and starches. Here's how to get plenty of heart-healthy protein while you cut back on red meat.
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