Heart Healthy Foods
February is American Heart Month. Heart disease, the number one
killer in the U.S., doesn't discriminate: While it tends to strike men earlier,
it affects both genders.
The good news is many cases of stroke and heart
attacks are preventable through lifestyle changes. For example, a healthy diet
can help prevent heart disease, and some foods are lauded by dietitians as
playing an especially important role in keeping your ticker humming. Here
are some great foods for heart health.
Oatmeal is a good source of soluble
fiber that's been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and carry excess
cholesterol out of the body. To get this benefit, a person needs three grams of
soluble fiber per day (about 1½ cups of cooked oatmeal) as part of a diet low
in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Fatty fish including salmon is a
great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have been shown to help lower
triglyceride levels, reduce the risk of blood clots, reduce the overall risk
for heart attacks, and lower blood pressure levels. A six-ounce fillet of wild
salmon has about 60 fewer calories than farm raised salmon and half the
fat. Other healthy fish options include
mackerel, fresh albacore tuna, Atlantic herring, sardines and lake trout.
Walnuts are a good source of
polyunsaturated fat — the kind that's been shown to reduce blood cholesterol
levels and lowers the production of LDL cholesterol in the body. They're also a
vegetarian source of omega-3s, making them a boon for people who don't eat fish.
Avocado is full of healthy monounsaturated fats. They
also contain phytosterols which can lower LDL (bad cholesterol.)
Low-fat dairy products can help prevent high blood
pressure.
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