10 Heart Friendly Foods

A recipe for a healthy heart would contain temperance, abundant open air, easy labor and a little care. Yes, a little care is all that you need to save your heart from the so-called routine-induced diseases. You can reduce the risk of developing heart-related problems by making smart lifestyle changes and including foods that understand your heart such as:

• Nuts: They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids and thus help in reducing atrial plaque formation. The fiber of nuts helps in cleaning the digestive tract and improves metabolism.
• Steamed Oat meal: It is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and folate that keep the arteries clear and also reduce the LDL levels. Include oats as porridges or as a part of a delicoius preparation to harvest its benefits.
• Salmon and other fatty fish: They are  found to improve the HDL profile. Rich in protein this fish reduces the risk of strokes when consumed about twice a week. It is also effective in reducing blood pressure and checks blood-clotting.
• Dark chocolate: It is effective in reducing the LDL levels in blood.  It also lowers the blood pressure and increases the blood flow to brain. It also reduces the hidden heart inflammation and is a natural blood-diluting agent. Make sure that you buy dark chocolate with at least 70 percent coco.
• Whole Grains: They are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals along with many other nutrients. The fiber of the grains binds the bile acids and weakens the capacity of liver to synthesize cholesterol during fat digestion.
• Onion and Garlic: To reduce the blood cholesterol levels, include Onion and Garlic lavishly in your diet. These pungent members of the Lily family are also good at discouraging blood-clots.  You can cut garlic into small pieces, leave for 5 minutes and then take with water like a pill.
• Avocado: It contains monounsaturated fats and is good at reducing the LDL levels. Even a moderate consumption of avocados leads to improved HDL profile of the blood.
• Oils: Unsaturated fats like Olive oil and other vegetable oils should be included in the diet. These are helpful in improving the HDL profile, keep blood vessels flexible and reduce excess blood clotting. However, maintain the intake of fats at 3-4 tsp. per day.
•  Kale: Kale is rich in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, folate and potassium. All these make it a super-food when it comes to heart health.  It contains a substance called Lutein. Recent studies have shown that Lutein gives protection against early Atherosclerosis.
• Oranges are rich in compounds called Flavanones, which work to reduce LDL and improves the HDL cholesterol. Eating one citrus fruit a day is believed to reduce the LDL cholesterol levels significantly.

To help these foods in making your heart strong, make sure that you eat less salt, lesser sugar and a diet low in processed and refined foods. Also, maintaining an active lifestyle would help you build stamina and provide strength to your ticker’s muscles.

Take care of your Heart. It's the only place your loved ones have got to live.