The human heart is one of the most vital organs of the body. It functions to supply the rest of our organs with oxygen-rich blood; pumps out carbon dioxide – oxygenation’s by-product – through the lungs, and makes it possible to deliver nutrients towards different areas of our body and take away waste materials for disposal. All of these wouldn’t be feasible without the heart’s pumping mechanism. As such, it is understandable why keeping your heart healthy must be a priority. One way of achieving this is by eating right.
- Cut off on fat by avoiding food with saturated fat and low density lipoproteins (LDLs). Replace red meats with skinless chickens, turkey, or fish. Avoid dairy fats too by drinking low-fat, skimmed, or soy milk.
- Increase the roughage in your diet by eating a lot of fiber which can be found in fruits and vegetables. These prevent the accumulation of plaque in the arteries, lowering risks of heart attack up to more than 25 percent.
- Delight your hearts with heart-friendly foods like fruits, seafood, soy, a hand full of nuts, whole-grain breads, cereals, and fish with omega-3 fatty acids.
- Eat Mediterranean and Asian food regularly! People who eat such food have lower chances of getting heart disease compared to those who have appetites for American food. You don’t need to completely shift into these diets. Just incorporate them into your existing recipes.
- Cheers to red wine! In moderation, the alcohol in red wine increases high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the blood and thins the blood, decreasing chances of developing blood clots which can cause a stroke or a heart attack. Red wine is also rich in bioflavonoids which make fat deposits less likely to stick on the arterial walls.
- Avoid processed food because they contain tons of sodium. Eat up to 3 cloves of garlic a day to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Of course, feasting on the right food is not an adequate guarantee that your heart will be kept in optimal shape. As a muscular organ, performing physical exercises is ideal. Maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle is the best key into achieving a healthy and happy heart.
