The best diet for heart health incorporates foods that are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, heart healthy fats and vitamin D. Here’s a look at some of the most heart healthy foods:
Nuts – all nuts contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats and a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Nuts satiate your appetite and they have very little effect on blood sugar levels making them one of nature’s most perfect snacks! A serving size is approximately the size of a golf ball.
Olive oil – there’s more to olive oil than heart healthy monounsaturated fat. Olive oil also contains a variety of antioxidant compounds that promote good health and help decrease inflammation. Choose extra virgin or virgin olive oil and keep it away from light and heat to maintain freshness and decrease rancidity. Pair it with aged vinegar (Italy is known for it’s aged vinegar) and you’ll add even more antioxidants to your meal!
Fatty Fish – the omega 3 fats in fish (EPA and DHA) decrease risk of abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias) which can lead to sudden cardiac death, they also are tied to a dose dependent decrease in triglycerides (though you should talk to your doctor if you want to take more than 1 gram/day), a slight decrease in blood pressure and they slow the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque. Try salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, lake trout, sardines, shad, smelt and anchovies.
Milk or other Vitamin D rich foods. Studies have shown that Vitamin D is good for the heart and low vitamin D levels puts you more at risk for heart problems.
Fruits and Vegetables – one of the best things about fruits and veggies are the plethora of antioxidant compounds they contain. Choose a variety so you get an array of these compounds. And, be sure to include deeply colored red, blue and purple produce. The dark pigments in produce are loaded with antioxidants.
There are plenty of delicious, heart healthy foods you can choose from. However, there are also some foods you should limit. The worst foods contain partially hydrogenated oils. These man made trans fats wreck havoc on your heart decreasing your good cholesterol (HDL) and increasing your bad cholesterol (LDL). Next, cut down on the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates you consume (white bread, white flour products; sourdough bread is okay though). These will boost your triglycerides and small dense LDL (the most artery-clogging cholesterol). Replacing these simple carbohydrates with fat will decrease triglycerides and increase your HDL cholesterol. Plus, sugar and simple carbohydrates boost insulin, insulin is a storage hormone (helps you store fat if you aren’t actively burning off the extra carbohydrate calories).
And finally, saturated fat should be limited (saturated fat is hard at room temperature – butter, the fat on meat etc.). The saturated fat story is complex because it isn’t definitively harmful the way man made trans fats are. However, replacing saturated fat with liquid forms of fat (oils, nuts, seeds etc.) is better for your heart.