You are what you eat. There’s no other way to say it better. The foods you eat and the foods you avoid will determine the state of your health and how you look and feel. So let’s see the 5 foods that make your heart healthy.
If the foods you consume are high in sugar, saturated fats and mostly processed, your body will suffer inflammation and you’ll probably be overweight. Inflammation is the root cause of heart disease. So, avoiding these foods will do you a world of good at combating heart disease.
Besides knowing what foods to avoid, you should also be aware of beneficial foods that you should make a part of your diet. You’ll then be able to reap the ‘heart-healthy’ benefits that can be derived from consuming them.
1. Fatty Fish
Fish like sardines, Alaskan salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel contain fish oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It’s important that you only purchase fish that are caught in the wild. Do not consume fish which are farm-raised. This applies to fish oil supplements too. The oil must come from wild fish.
Our diets are too high in omega-6 fatty acids. This is due to the excessive use of hydrogenated oils which are detrimental to our health. Even though they look clean and golden on the supermarket shelves, most of these vegetable oils are harmful to our bodies in the long run.
The fish that you consume will restore the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in your body. This will reduce inflammation, lower your bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease in the long run.
2. Grass-Fed Beef
While it’s best to consume red meat in moderation, if you’re going to eat beef, stick to grass-fed beef. Cows were meant to eat grass, but the food manufacturing industry which puts money above everything else feeds the cows grains that are loaded with hormones, antibiotics and steroids. This normally creates meat that contains a lot of inflammatory omega-6 fats… and by now you know that inflammation leads to heart disease.
So, stick to grass-fed beef. This is organic meat that will not cause your body to become inflamed.
3. Turmeric
Used in India for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, the West has just discovered the potency of this spice. One of the best natural anti-inflammatory spices, turmeric can be used in your cooking or you could mix it in your milk. The curcumin, which is the active ingredient in the turmeric, is also an antioxidant. You could also consume curcumin supplements to get your daily dose of this miracle spice.
4. Red Wine
No list of heart-healthy foods would be complete without mentioning red wine. It is well-known for reducing your risk of heart disease. While resveratrol (a polyphenol found in red wine) gets a lot of mention as a potent antioxidant, red wine contains many other antioxidants that benefit your heart.
Red wine is chock-full of flavonoids that prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol (this oxidation normally causes inflammation). This is one of the reasons red wine is so potent for preventing heart disease. One or two glasses of wine a day should suffice. There’s no need to go overboard and become an alcoholic in the name of preventing heart disease.
5. Garlic
The allicin, which is the active ingredient in garlic, prevents blood clots from forming in your arteries. It also lowers your cholesterol and has antioxidant and antiviral properties. This is one of the MOST beneficial foods you could consume. It’s best to crush it and use it in your cooking to get the benefits. Alternatively, you could get garlic supplements and consume them.
Include these 5 Foods that make your heart healthy in your diet and you’ll not only improve your health but will greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.
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This website is written by a regular human. I am not a Health Professional. Please get professional medical advice for your specific health needs.