Love Your Heart

Posted on January 15th, 2009 by richb

Eat Foods That Will Help Your Heart Love You Back

Take care of your heart by eating healthy high in fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. According to the American Heart Association, unsaturated cooking fats such as olive oil and canola oil combined with a consistent ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids are believed to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and each helps keep your healthyin a different way.

Omega-3-These acids found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, may lower triglyceride levels and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Fiber-Found in foods such as black beans, kidney beans and whole grains, fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol. Studies show that people eating oatmeal every day have had impressive reductions in their cholesterol.
Flavonoids-These compounds, found in some fruits and dark chocolate (cool!), appear to help blood vessels dilate and expand, which improves blood flow. Please keep in mind that only moderate amounts of dark chocolate could be part of a heart-healthy diet!!

I have provided a very short list of heart-healthy suggestions coupled with the pertinent nutritional benefits that they deliver. This list is certainly not the end all be all. For more information, go to the American Heart Association website.

Salmon and Tuna Omega-3 fatty acids