Eating Right for a Healthy Heart

The healthy heart diet is an important diet to consider nowadays with so many people struggling high cholesterol, high blood pressure and the rates of deaths from things like heart attack and stroke remaining fairly high. In order to protect your heart, a healthy heart diet should be used, consisting of foods that are good to eat and good for you. What kinds of foods will help you to have a healthy lifestyle and heart without making you too bored with it?

Fruits and Vegetables

Any fruits and vegetables can have a positive impact on your health, though dark leafy green veggies and bananas are probably the best because they lower sodium levels and contain enzymes that strengthen the heart. But any fruit or vegetable carries health benefits such as fibre which helps keep you fuller longer and vitamins that strengthen the immune system and help your body function better. Adding fruits and veggies to all of your meals can really help your heart reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are another important part of a healthy heart. Whole grains contain fibre which helps keep you from feeling snacky and binging and can help to regulate blood pressure. An easy way to get more whole grains is to add flax seeds to your recipes to replace some of the flour. Your food won’t taste too different, but your body will certainly notice and appreciate the change. You should also try to eat more oatmeal and then add things like fruit and honey to it for a good breakfast.

Lean Protein

You need protein to build muscle mass and stay healthy, but not all proteins are created equal. If you want a healthy heart, opt for proteins from low fat sources such as legumes, soy and lean cuts of meat like turkey, chicken and lean ground beef. Cut the fat off your steaks and beef and try to cut down on your intake of things like bacon and sausages. And watch your serving sizes; you only need about 2 servings of meat a day-that’s 4-6oz a day, no more, though if you get your protein from things like beans, you can of course eat more.

Fish and Nuts

You should try to add at least a serving of nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc. unsalted and uncoated) and a couple servings of fish a month. Why? Foods like these are not only healthy, but are incredibly heart friendly because they lower the count of ‘bad’ cholesterol and fats in your body and increase the levels of good fats. These good fats protect your heart as well as help the rest of your body to function better.

There are a wide range of foods available that can be eaten instead of the high fat, high sodium, high sugar diet which many people live on. Eating more wholesome foods will lead to a healthy heart as well as weight loss, clear skin, and fewer health problems, so it’s well worth doing. Want a healthy heart? Start by eating healthy!