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Eat Heart-Healthy

Eating heart-healthy is about being smart when choosing how to nurture your body. Always prefer options rich in nutrients that will provide what your organism needs to function properly, and avoid chemical or artificial ingredients that do harm to your internal functioning.

Make choices low or out of saturated fat and trans fat. These are bad fats that increase the risk of atherosclerosis, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and bad LDL cholesterol, which leads to heart disease. Also avoid sodium, because it increases blood pressure, and any processed sugary foods or beverages.

Enjoy a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains rich in fibers, fish, nuts, legumes, and seeds. These will fuel your body with the macro and micronutrients it needs: carbohydrates with low-glycemic level, unsaturated fats, proteins, vitamins and antioxidants- A, B6, B12, C, E, K- and minerals– calcium potassium, iron, zinc.

A study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that eating 10 portions of fruit and vegetables, which contain most of the important micronutrients for the body, every day can significantly reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancer. So keep that in mind when you write your next grocery list!

 

Great healthy food options indicated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are:

  • Fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen or canned without added salt or sugar)
  • Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts.
  • Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel
  • Beans, peas and lentils
  • Whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta, brown rice, quinoa

 

Resources

American Heart Association website

Mayo Clinic website

www.eatright.org

Life Extension Daily News

Washington State University- My Nutrition

 

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