Five Simple Foods for a Healthy Heart
Eating a balanced diet with plenty of nutritious fresh foods helps to lower your risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Your heart will thank you for making smart choices.
Here are five heart-healthy foods that are easy to include as part of your daily diet.
Oatmeal
Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and you’ll feel full for hours. This warm and tasty porridge is also good for your heart. It’s high in soluble fibre so it helps to control cholesterol levels, and prevent spikes in blood sugar levels.
For a nutritional boost, you can add oats to your favourite baked goods like pancakes and muffins, or use ground oats as a replacement for ordinary flour.
Leafy Greens
Include spinach, kale and other leafy greens in your diet regularly. Leafy green vegetables are packed with vitamin K, which helps to protect the health of your arteries and also promotes proper blood clotting which is good for you. These veggies also include nutrients that help to lower blood pressure.
Beans
Beans are full of fibre, protein and magnesium. That means they can help to control your cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. Beans are affordable, easy to cook and can be added to soups, stews, salads and more. Other heart-healthy foods similar to beans include lentils, peas and chickpeas.
Oily Fish
Fish like sardines and tuna contain nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids, which help to keep your heart, arteries and brain healthy. Try to eat fish two or three times a week, or take a fish oil vitamin supplement to make sure you get enough omega-3 fatty acids.
Dark Chocolate
Great news for those with a sweet tooth – a little bit of dark chocolate can also be good for your heart. This bitter-sweet treat contains antioxidants and magnesium, which are both known as heart-healthy nutrients.
Make sure you choose good quality dark chocolate that contains less sugar and more cocoa (at least 70%) and enjoy it in moderation.