I don’t think I need to impress upon you how important heart health is, you already know that. But how can we use our nutrition choices to make sure our heart is the healthiest it can be? In today’s post, we’ll be talking about foods you can include in your diet for a healthy heart.
Healthy heart foods
Succulent salmon
Salmon has featured on our blog a bunch of times, and for a good reason! Salmon packs a big nutritional punch. Today though, we’re focussing on the benefits of eating salmon for your heart health.
Salmon is one of the best foods you can turn to for omega-3 fatty acids. And we love omegas! Much research has linked omega-3s with a reduction in inflammation, regulation of blood pressure and other crucial roles in heart health.
Hearty whole grains
Whole grains are unrefined wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, millet, rice and quinoa (although technically, quinoa is actually a seed!). They are best eaten in their unrefined state and are packed with fibre.
Studies show eating your grains whole as opposed to refined will lower your risk of stroke, type two diabetes and heart disease. Also giving your heart a boost, whole grains are important in helping you maintain a healthy weight.
Nutritious nuts
Cholesterol. There’s the good stuff (HDL) and the bad stuff (LDL). But did you know that eating foods with HDL cholesterol will help lower the level of the bad, LDL, cholesterol?
A food rich in good cholesterol is nuts, a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. And regular consumption has been linked to lower levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. As a bonus, you’ll also be getting proteins, vitamins and minerals when you chow down on nuts.
Bountiful berries
Sticky, juicy and sweet berries, not only delectably delicious, but they’re also an excellent source of polyphenols, micronutrients, and fibre. Why is this a good thing? A study has shown these three elements are associated with improved cardiovascular health.
As a bonus, these vibrant fruits will also help fight off other chronic diseases and cancer.
Obliging olive oil
Remember how we said before that good HDL cholesterol lowers lousy LDL cholesterol? The way that happens is the good stuff will actually pull out the bad cholesterol that builds up on blood vessel walls. Amazing right?
In an olive oil study done with nearly 300 participants, scientists found that those eating a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil showed more effective HDL (good) cholesterol. We could all do with harder working good guys on our side.
Decadent dark chocolate
Good news if you’re a chocolate lover, research out of the UK (done over 11 years) shows those who ate more chocolate in their diet had lower rates of heart disease than those who ate less.
While the results aren’t an all-out backing of chocolate, the study says, “cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events.” We’ll take that.
Feeling overwhelmed?
We know in an ideal world you’d be eating all of these magical ingredients on the regular. But you’re busy at work, at home and you’re social life is buzzing. In short, you don’t have the time to be searching out heart-healthy foods and whipping them up into delicious meals.
Well, you don’t have to. We’ll do it for you, and deliver it to your home or office. We love to use these heart-healthy ingredients in our meals, and our chefs always work in conjunction with nutritionists and dieticians to ensure top taste and nutrition.
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