Discover Heart Healthy Foods

When you mention the month of February, two thoughts usually come to mind. One of course is whether that darn groundhog will see its shadow, which unfortunately he did 🙁 which determines whether we will have a long winter. The other is February 14th, a day where love and friendship are celebrated.

However, the month of February is also known as Heart Health Month, and with that in mind, I would like to share with you heart healthy foods.

Before I share some of the top heart healthy foods, I do want to mention that before you make any changes to your diet, to consult with your physician. In addition, never get overwhelmed with trying to make changes. Just start to incorporate one or two modifications and slowly add/subtract from your diet.

Ok, now onto why you clicked on this blog post. . .

What are the some of the top heart healthy foods?

To start with, the American Heart Association suggests a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat daily products, poultry, fish and nuts. You can learn more HERE.

If you go to that link, you may start to get overwhelmed. So, let’s take a look at some of the top heart healthy foods and as I shared just start to incorporate a few and then add on to it and start taking out food that isn’t good for you. Not sure what foods you should start eliminating? The Mayo Clinic has a great article on what to add and what to avoid, from what types of fruits and vegetables, e.g. avoid breaded or those with creamy sauces. Instead have fresh or frozen. You can learn more HERE.

So one of the top heart healthy foods is wild-caught fish high in omega-3s.

Heart Healthy Foods According to the American Heart Association (AHA) we should eat a 3.5 ounce serving of fatty fish, such as salmon at least twice per week. ¹ It can also be mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines and albacore tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids. However, one important note . . . Some types of fish may contain high levels of mercury,and other environmental contaminants. Levels of these substances are generally highest in older, larger, predatory fish and marine mammals.

Another one of the top heart healthy foods is legumes, e.g. beans, chickpeas and lentils. They can reduce levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) otherwise known as “bad cholesterol). They also have fiber, protein and antioxidant polyphenols which benefit both your heart and overall. What’s really interesting is according to the National Institute of Health, although research supports the benefits of legume consumption, only ∼8% of U.S. adults report eating legumes on any given day. ²

Please know I am not putting these in any order but I do want to share the next one of the top heart healthy foods only because I LOVE it. 🙂 Dark Chocolate. (notice I said dark chocolate, not milk chocolate 🙂 Dark chocolate has protective benefits and best part is it tastes great 🙂 Learn more HERE.

Side note . . . there are so many foods that are healthy for you and better than the processed food and junk food. What you need to find are foods you enjoy eating. You don’t want to eat something because you “have to” eat it. You want to eat it because you enjoy eating it. Otherwise you will dread breakfast, lunch and dinner or worse . . . just go back to your old way of eating.

Another one of the top heart healthy foods are Dark Leafy Green Vegetables. Spinach, kale, chard and other dark leafy green vegetables are rich in vitamins A, C, E and K and contain antioxidants that help rid toxins from the body. They are also abundance in calcium, magnesium and potassium which are great for supporting a healthy heart. ³

Strawberries are also great for heart healthy foods. These compounds in strawberries have potent antioxidant power. They are packed with vitamin C, and they are also an excellent source of folate. Learn more HERE. You’ll notice there are overall benefits to your health, besides just heart health, by including strawberries in your diet. 🙂

Another one of the top heart healthy foods is turmeric. Turmeric has many different benefits but studies have also shown that curcumin serves as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Learn more HERE.

Heart Healthy Foods How about Avocados? Avocados contain a variety of essential nutrients and important phytochemicals. There are eight preliminary clinical studies showing that avocado consumption helps support cardiovascular health. Learn more HERE.

Another great heart healthy foods (think Mediterranean Diet 🙂 . . . Olives and Olive Oil. According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 50 years ago, it was discovered strikingly low rates of coronary heart disease in the Mediterranean region, where fat intake was relatively high but largely from olive oil. There are many heart-healthy benefits of extra-virgin olive oil but, even though it’s made of “healthy fats,” olive oil is still high in calories and should be used in moderation.

Another top heart healthy foods is oats and barley. The cell walls of oats and barley contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has a host of benefits for human health. Oh my goodness, there are so many benefits, including heart health, to eating oats and barley, (Learn more HERE) and so many easy ways to incorporate it into your diet. Of course you can have it just as oatmeal, but you can also include it in smoothies, make pancakes, oatmeal cookies and overnight treats 🙂

Another reminder is you want to have a varied diet. These are just some suggestions of additions you can make in your diet. You can talk to your physician or a health coach.

But that being said, another easy addition for the top heart healthy foods are nuts and seeds. 🙂 Chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts which are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids are good sources of unsaturated healthy fats. You can learn more HERE and HERE.

And one of the last suggestions for top heart healthy goods is Asparagus. Asparagus is extremely high in vitamin K and the vegetable’s high level of B vitamins helps regulate the amino acid homocysteine. Asparagus also has more than 1 gram of soluble fiber per cup and the amino acid asparagine that helps flush your body of excess salt. Lastly, asparagus has excellent anti-inflammatory effects and high levels of antioxidants. Learn more HERE.

Would you like some additional help to make it a little bit easier?

I love being a distributor with Jump to Health because they offer so many great products to help you be healthier. Learn more HERE.

Please know if purchase from my website, I will be compensated but I wouldn’t share about the products unless I believed in them.

Any questions, you can always reach me on 404-827-8102.

Wishing you the best in health and wellness!

Kathy

Independent Jump To Health™ Distributor

References

¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257669/

²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4608274/, http://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/8/E252

³https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973479/