Keep Your Heart Healthy With These 10 Foods!

Top 10 Best Foods and Healthy Diets for Heart Health – DoctorOnCall

Healthy Foods for the Heart

1. Fish Rich in Omega-3
   Fish like tuna, mackerel, salmon, and sardines are rich in omega-3. Omega-3 plays a role in lowering triglyceride levels in the blood. It can reduce the risk of clogged blood vessels and help lower high blood pressure. It also reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
   
   
2. Olive Oil
   Olive oil is not just an expensive ingredient often used by restaurant chefs. It has many health benefits, especially for heart health. A study showed that consuming olive oil daily can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 15%. In addition to olive oil, corn oil or canola oil can be used in your cooking as an alternative to margarine.
   
   
3. Spinach
   Don’t underestimate spinach! Spinach is a green vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Adding spinach to your daily diet can improve your heart health.These vegetables are full of nitrates, which help expand blood vessels and lower blood pressure. This allows blood to flow smoothly to all organs, including the heart, which works hard every day.
   
   
4. Oats
   Oats help lower LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad cholesterol,” which often causes clogged blood vessels. It indirectly reduces the risk of heart attacks. Oats also lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension. To prepare overnight oats, just add some oats in a glass, add fresh milk, chia seeds, and raisins. Store in the fridge overnight. It’s ready to eat with your favorite fruits! Easy, right?
   
   
5. Nuts
   Peas, black beans, chickpeas, and soybeans are examples of nuts that are great for protecting against heart disease. These nuts have various benefits for health and help reduce triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels. These legumes also help lower blood pressure.
   
   
6. Tomatoes
   If you cut a tomato in half, you’ll see that it also has compartments inside. Doesn’t it look similar to the chambers in the heart? Tomatoes contain lycopene. What is lycopene? Lycopene is a substance with antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are essential for preventing damage and inflammation in the heart, which is often a factor in heart disease. A study has shown that eating 2 raw tomatoes four times a week can increase HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) levels in your body.
   
   
7. Almonds
   Almonds also increase antioxidant levels, lower blood pressure, and improve blood circulation. Eating almonds has been shown to reduce belly fat. But remember, choose plain almonds if you want to snack on them.
   
   
8. Garlic
   Garlic has numerous benefits for maintaining a healthy heart and preventing heart disease. Garlic can prevent atherosclerosis. It also helps lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels.You can make it a habit to consume one clove of garlic every day to avoid heart disease.
   
   
9. Green Tea
   Green tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which can combat free radicals and inflammation in the blood vessels. Increased free radicals can damage cells, and inflammation can promote plaque buildup in blood vessels. The plaque can lead to clogged blood vessels. Green tea also helps lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels.
   
   
10. Dark Chocolate
    If you’re a chocolate lover, this might be good news for you. Dark chocolate helps prevent atherosclerosis. It plays a role in preventing blood vessels from hardening. Hardening of blood vessels causes them to lose their elasticity, which can lead to high blood pressure. Dark chocolate also prevents white blood cells from clumping together and sticking to the walls of blood vessels. When white blood cells stick to the walls, they narrow the blood vessels, which can cause high blood pressure. Studies show that individuals who eat dark chocolate twice a week can reduce their risk of a heart attack by 32%.

Healthy Diet for the Heart

1. Control Portion Sizes
   Use the quarter-quarter-half formula when serving meals. Use a medium-sized plate and fill a quarter with protein, a quarter with carbohydrates, and half with vegetables and fruits.
   
   
2. Increase Vegetables and Fruits in Your Daily Diet
   Vegetables and fruits are rich in minerals, vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. They are essential in your diet and should be eaten in large quantities. Vary your vegetable and fruit dishes every day and avoid adding sauces or dressings to them.
   
   
3. Reduce Oil and Salt in Cooking
   Oils increase cholesterol levels in the blood and raise the risk of clogged arteries. Excessive salt intake can cause high blood pressure and damage the kidneys.
   
   
4. “Cheat Day”
   Reward yourself with a light snack or favorite food once a week, which won’t ruin your efforts to live a healthy life. But don’t use this as an excuse to indulge often!

How to Prevent Heart Disease

• Exercise Regularly
  Exercise strengthens the heart and improves blood circulation. It reduces cholesterol and helps prevent high blood pressure.
  
  
• Quit Smoking
  Smoking not only increases the risk of a heart attack but also causes various other diseases, such as lung cancer, mouth cancer, and more. Stay away from cigarettes to protect your health and that of your family.
  
  
• Control Blood Sugar Levels
  If you are diabetic or even if you are not, reducing sugar intake in your daily diet is excellent for maintaining health.
  
  
• Manage Stress Properly
  Heart disease is closely related to stress. Managing stress in your daily life can lower the risk of heart attacks and is good for both your mental and physical health.
  
  
• Get Enough Sleep
  Everyone needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Inadequate sleep can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes, which are dangerous for heart health.