Foods And Diet For Healthy Heart

Diet And Tips For Healthy Heart

• Include a lot of whole foods that are rich in fiber. Fruits and veggies are such foods that have a lot of fiber, vitamins and flavonoids.
  
  
  
  Flavonoids are known to prevent the formation of blood clots too.
• Include fish like bluefish, sardines and salmon in your food as these are good sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. If you are a vegetarian, then you can get your share of omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed oil.
• You must cut down on carbohydrates, especially starchy foods and sugars as these get converted to glucose and then increase the insulin in the blood.
  
  
  
  An increase in the level of insulin can lead to atherosclerosis.
• Incorporate exercise into your daily schedule. Set aside some time everyday for some form of exercise – either go for a walk, jog, or swim. You can also enroll in a gym or just work 30 minutes of exercise into your daily schedule. You should also try to increase your daily activity level. For instance, instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs, walk down to the supermarket instead of driving.
• Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits as these are not only rich in vitamins and minerals, but also in antioxidants. You can choose vegetables and fruits that are rich in selenium, beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E as these will fight the free radicals in the body.
  
  
  
  Include fruits and vegetables like sprouts, dark leafy greens, sweet potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Research has shown that five or more servings of fruits and vegetables in a day can lower the risk of diseases.
• Include a handful of assorted healthy nuts like almonds and walnuts in your daily diet as they can reduce your chances of coronary artery disease by 25 – 39%.   
• You might want to avoid barbecued and grilled food products because research shows that meat cooked over charcoal can increase the risk of cardiomyopathy. During the browning process, carcinogens are formed that can inflame the arteries and deteriorate the heart muscles.
• You can also avoid black coffee and tea as these are rich in caffeine and this can stress in the body. In turn, it increases your risk of contracting heart disease. You must also avoid spicy foods, wheat flour, soft drinks, refined foods, animal fat, red meat, butter, chocolate, alcohol and tobacco.
• Drink about 8-10 glasses of water everyday.