The Ideal Foods To Protect Your Heart

We all live in a busy and stressful world where everything happens really quickly. The constant pursuit of money, career and prestige, make us forget what is most essential – our health. Buddha once said: “To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” Well, it seems that we are regularly forgetting this duty while looking for wealth, forgetting that the real wealth is actually our health.

It is well-known that stress and unhealthy lifestyle are the main reasons for many heart diseases. Maybe it is time to start worrying about your heart and think of what you can do to protect it. In many cases, just changing some of the habits and the way of living, it’s all we need to do to boost our health and to slash down the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

What should you do? First of all, change what’s on your plate. Aside from quitting smoking and increasing your physical activities, one of the crucial things is to change the eating habits and to start eating healthy food. There is a broad-spectrum of tasty and healthy foods which are beneficial for your heart. This is very important for those who already suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Avocado, the little ‘green’ fruit is beneficial for your heart. Its monounsaturated fatty acids help prevent blood clotting and lower bad cholesterol. Apart from this, the avocado contains magnesium, which is needed for your muscles, including the heart muscle as well.

Almonds, nuts and walnuts too, have heart-healthy fats which help reduce the ‘bad’ cholesterol. They are great when combined with desserts, vegetables and fish.

Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have the power to reduce the high blood pressure and to improve the vascular function. Cardiologists suggest that having a plate of salmon on your menu at least twice per week reduces the risk of a heart attack.

Red wine, if consumed in moderation is good for your health; it helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, since it protects the artery walls. Thus, one glass of red wine with your dinner or lunch, is always a good choice.

Olive oil is super-rich with monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E which minimize the risk of heart diseases. Start cooking and preparing your meals with olive oil if you want to keep your heart healthy.

Berries (all types of berries, like strawberries, blueberries, cranberries and raspberries) are natural sources of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, polyphenol and flavonoid. All are good for your heart.

Spinach is one of the most healthy foods, because it is rich in magnesium, potassium, lutein, b-complex vitamins and fiber. It is highly recommended to include spinach in your weekly menu, because it reduces the risk of heart diseases up to 25%.