Today’s article features 10 foods that everyone should have in their kitchen if getting heart-healthy is on your agenda.
The great thing about these goods is that they are tasty, can go in numerous recipes, and can be eaten throughout the day in breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.
Below is a list of the top performers and their best benefits:
Yogurt- This is very high in magnesium and potassium, both of which are critical in maintaining healthy circulation. Eat about 2 ½ to 3 cups per week of plain Greek yogurt.
Blueberries and strawberries- The compounds in these fruits are known to dilate blood vessels, easing high blood pressure. They are also packed with very powerful antioxidants. Try to get about 2 cups a week into your diet…how about with yogurt?
Avocado- This little fruit is outstanding for fighting LDL cholesterol. Eat one to two avocados per week, for example, in sandwiches, mixed in eggs, or mashed to hold lettuce wraps together.
[adrotate group=”5″]Chia seed- These little lovelies are so much easier to eat than flaxseed. They are one of the best sources ever of soluble fiber and do a great job of filling you up. Add one tablespoon to salad, veggie pizza, oatmeal, or most any food.
Nuts- Pretty much any type of nuts are heart healthy. These little beauties are full of omega 3 fatty acids and proteins. They are great with fruit as a snack between meals. Check the package for recommended serving size and stick to the unsalted, unsweetened variety for best health benefits.
Salmon- The Omega 3 fatty acids in this fish are abundant. Serving size should be 6 ounces or less, though, which is true for any meat, fish, or poultry protein serving. If you are eating the glazed variety when you are at the restaurant, make sure to go for a walk afterward to ward off the inevitable blood sugar spike.
Spinach- This dark, leafy green is packed with so many benefits, it’s hard to limit them to one paragraph. Fresh is best, but if you prefer cooked spinach, make sure it’s just lightly sautéed and not the canned variety. About 8 to 10 ounces 3 or 4 times a week is best, but make sure to wash it first.
Beans- If ever there was a perfect food, beans are it. Packed with protein and fiber, these incredible little guys can go in so many different recipes it boggles the mind. Anyone fighting cholesterol, obesity, or type two diabetes should invest in a cookbook focusing on healthy recipes for beans.
Edamame- This preparation for soy is one of the tastiest and easiest. Most grocer freezers will have it already stocked. All you have to do is steam it a little and shake on a dash of sea salt and you’re good to go.
Olive Oil- Forget butter, margarine, and canola or vegetable oil. Olive oil contains the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that are known to decrease coronary artery disease, fight LDL cholesterol, and improve digestion. Make sure not to skimp on this, though. Buy a high-quality, extra virgin olive oil for your recipes.
More ways to end the fight with dangerous cholesterol, once and for all…
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In 6 months my BP is down to 110/80. Fantastic! Any programmes/suggestions for AF (artrial fibrilation)?
A poor list if you have any kind of heart disease. Replace the yogurt with whole plant foods high in potassium and magnesium, and delete all dairy, even low-fat. Forget the avocados. Who cares if it reduces LDL a bit – it has too many other bad effects – it’s all that oil, even if it’s mostly monounsaturated. Try to get LDL below 150mg/dl – even down to 125mg.dl, by eliminated ALL oils/fats from your diet, even if they are plant-sourced. Drop the nuts- too much fat – get your omega 3 fatty acids from a tablespoon or two of chia seeds or ground flax seeds. Drop the salmon. Too much fat and animal protein – never should enter the mouth of a person with heart disease. Last, the olive oil – drop it, too. There are NO “heart healthy” oils, including olive oil – it is 14% to 17% saturated fat. Again, not to pass between the lips of someone with “heart health” issues. If you have “heart health” issues, a plant-based diet will provevnt further health compromise, and it may even help with A-Fib.
jDisagree with the soy that is being pushed, in 10 yrs we will be having soy allergic people just as we now have wheat/celiac people, it also depletes thyroid function.
Dear Scott Davis, Please comment on response by Kenagy as there are some very valid points.
S. K. Chege
United Kingdom
Pretty amazing piece by Kenergy above.
Nearly all completely wrong. Misled by bad science, I’m afraid.
We forget that medical schools didn’t have classes on CVD in the 19th Century, the incidence of heart disease was so scarce, even in Europe. They almost exclusively ate saturated fats; dripping, lard, butter, cheese and cream. Olive oil only in the south. In my youth olive oil was a medicine! Traditional diets varied across the world and even the inuit with 80% saturated fat in their diet lived much more healthy lives than most of us today. It is utterly mistaken to denigrate saturated fats. It all results from bad science, not from the real world. Dairy used to be fine until it got tampered with by industry. Wheat is known to be inflammatory. Soy also and more. We need to give up on SUGARS, not saturated fats. Apart from omega3’s avoid all polyunsaturated oils, highly inflammatory in our bodies!
Forget worrying about cholesterol. The one that matters is difficult to test for- the small dense LDL, pattern ‘B’ type.
Otherwise low cholesterol will make a heart attack MORE likely, not less.
BP is now stable[after 6weeks;avg. 118/78!], and I have lost almost 20 lbs, thanks, from the bottom of my heart; BLUE HERON HEALTH NEWS!
Too bad that John Doyle has it all wrong – sounds like misguided “Paleo-diet” fan. First, an amendment to my statement regarding LDL. I mentioned LDL of 150. I should have said total cholesterol of 125 to 150, HDL of 50 to 70 and an LDL of 70 or lower. Despite Mr. Doyles incorrect statements, this will not be achievable on a saturated fat/high-cholesterol diet. He has fallen to the incorrect notion that science has it all wrong and that the Atkins-style diet is actually heathy. (Mr. Atkins died of heart disease, 60 pounds overweight).
Fats, especially from animal sources, and refined fats from any source, including corn, peanuts, olives or whatever are damaging to the endothelial tissue of the circulatory system. It is this endothelial layer that is responsible for production of nitric oxide, vital to healthy functioning of that system. Animal protein also destroys this layer.
Suggesting that those individuals suffering from cardiovascular disease should eat fats is irresponsible. Sugars and refined carbohydrates do slightly raise triglyceride levels, but only a tiny amount compared to fats and oils.
Some people will tell you that solid scientific, peer-reviewed studies, such as the “China Study” by T. Colin
Campbell are bunk They claim they know better – perhaps quoting non-sense from a pseudoscientist like Gary Taubes. Do some research on your own. Google it. As a suggestion, look up materials by T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Ornish, Dr. Barnard, Dr. McDougall. You may even find their publications in your local library or bookstore. Your life depends on accurate, scientific, truthful information. Good luck. All the best.
I agree with John. Read books like Eat Fat Get Thin. I did and have lost and kept of 22kg as a result. Combine this learning with a low Eastrogenic Diet and you are on your way to a healthy future. Our food chain is full of Eastrogenic toxins that degrade progesterone in women and testosterone in men and this leads to a chronic catabolic reaction which ends with metabolic issues. Since embarking on this regime my blood sugar is down to 4.5 and HDL has increased with lowered LDL.
By the way. These is no evidence I have ever seen that links animal fat (grass fed not tampered with) to heart disease. Another good source of knowledge on this subject is Ancient Wisdom for Modern Heath which explores the myths surrounding modern medicine and the reasons why. Johns point about Cholesterol is also valid . Dairy was fine until the supermarkets started homogenising the milk. This process is what causes the small dense B type and makes drinking milk as dangerous as smoking.
Personally I only have a small amount of dairy but if I do it is good old fashioned gold top.
How does Kenergy explain the differences between two East African tribes? The Massai who eat meat and drink the blood and milk of their livestock and who are athletic and have low incidence of disease or the Kikuyu who eat Corn, Maize and flour and who are overwieght and have disease rates nearly at western levels.
If not diet what else could explian these differences?
Also for Kenergy
Dr Perricone MD has spent a lifetime studying longevity and ageing and he basically suggests exactly the kind of diet Scott proposes along with many other useful tips.
Av found olive oil to be very helpful.
Thanks for the good information. It is very helpful.
I would like to know the best ways/things to eat. Right now I am on the Master Clense and when I end it I am planning to eat better but it is very confusing to me. I LOVE junk food but I also try to incorporate healthy eating and have been able to cut down on my ‘junk’ by carrying nuts with me to snack on when I wanted something else. I am researching and planning to live a healthy lifestyle when I finish the clense. I am so use to the bad food that I felt that this was the best way to change my bad habits. so, if you could keep up the comments that might be of help to me also.
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