Foods that Fight Heart Disease

Heart Disease threatens everyone. Whether you are young or old, man or woman, or even if you are a smoker. Everyone is at risk. Of course, like the smoker, some people are at more risk than others. What you consume, put into your body, can either increase or decrease your risk also. Here is a list of foods, herbs, vitamins and other good things that will help you reduce your risk.

Have some tea. Green tea is full of antioxidants which help to remove free radicals from our bodies. For an added benefit have some Ginseng green tea or some Cinnamon green tea. Both Ginseng and Cinnamon are heart healthy herbs that will also give you a boost of energy and help promote weight loss.

Make sure you get some potassium. Potassium helps to regulate blood sugar. Some of the best sources of potassium include bananas and avocados. Don't skip on the magnesium either. Magnesium helps your metabolism function properly. Get some by eating whole grains, lima beans, nuts, beets, raisins and even dates.

Nuts are always a good choice. They are full of healthy fats and proteins and they are even rich with antioxidants. Nuts are a great snack food and help give you energy to get through each day!

When you are choosing oils to cook with be wise. There really are not that many good, healthy oils to choose from. One oil that has become newly popular is grapeseed oil. Another great choice in healthy oils is Olive oil which helps to raise HDL, the good kind of cholesterol.

Most meat is fattening and artery clogging, which is something that can directly result in heart disease and stroke. Your best bet is to choose white meats over reds and try to get some fish in your diet at least once a week. Fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which help to lower blood pressure thereby helping cut the risk of heart attack in half!

Flavonoids are important in the fight against heart disease. You should intake 31 milligrams of them each day. You can find this antioxidant and anti-inflammatory fighter in nuts, teas, grapes, cranberries, onions and tomatoes.

The last few goodies to make sure you have in your diet are fiber- which can be found in grapefruit, raisins, sweet potatoes, peas and zucchini. Get your Lutein from leafy greens. Vitamin C is important and so is water!

Source:

http://www.americanheart.org/