The Best Foods for Your Heart

Your heart is an intricately tuned machine. You need to fuel it with heart-healthy food to keep it working at peak performance. It would help if you chose a healthy diet. Many foods have great benefits for your heart, but which ones?

Heart disease has been reported in more than one-tenth of Americans. Chosen healthy foods can help lower your risk of heart disease.

These 25 foods are the best to protect your heart health and blood vessels. These top nutrients will keep your heart healthy, and you can get menu ideas to incorporate these foods into your daily diet.

Salmon

Omega-3 fatty acids are high in salmon, which can lower your risk of arrhythmias, lower your triglyceride levels and slow down plaque growth in your arteries. The American Heart Association recommends eating two portions of omega-3 rich foods such as salmon every week. One serving of cooked fish is approximately 3.5 ounces.

Salmon is versatile. It can be grilled with a marinade or rub, then chopped and added to pasta dishes with fat-free marinara sauce.

Wild Salmon vs Farmed Salmon

How was your salmon raised? What effect does this have on its omega-3 content? Many grocery stores carry both wild-caught and farm-raised salmon. Farm-raised salmon is more likely to contain more omega-3 fats and total fat. Farmed salmon contains more saturated fat than flank steak, but it’s only about half of the amount in farmed salmon.

Ground Flaxseed

Ground flaxseed is rich in omega-3s and both soluble and insoluble fibre. Ground flaxseed is one of the best sources of lignans. These lignans have both plant estrogens and antioxidant properties.

Ground flaxseed can be easily incorporated into any diet. It can also be added to almost all foods. It can be sprinkled on your morning cereal, added to low-fat yoghurt, mixed into muffins, or added to smoothies.

Flaxseed Oil:

Although flaxseed oil contains a lot of omega-3s, they are less effective than ALA (alpha-linolenic acids). To convert ALA to omega-3, special enzymes must be found in the body. You can expect only 15% of your flaxseed oils omega-3s to be converted to their most useful forms. While you do receive some benefits, the amount may not be as high as your supplement label indicates.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is delicious as a breakfast food and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Oatmeal is also a great source of fibre, with 4 grams per cup. It is also rich in nutrients such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Oatmeal is filling and healthy. You can add fresh berries to make it even more nutritious. You can make fat-free oatmeal cookies or oat bread. Or, you can mix whole rolled Oats into a turkey hamburger meatloaf.

Black or Kidney Beans

It’s the old schoolyard chant, “Beans, beans. Good for your heart.” Beans are rich in soluble fibre, vitamins B-complex, folate, magnesium and calcium. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

You can use beans in so many ways. They can be used in soups, stews and salads. You can even make a meal from them.

Black beans can be used in a pita tostada made with whole-grain pita bread with avocado or mixed with corn kernels, onions and onions to create stuffed bell peppers. Toss canned kidney beans with fresh corn, onions and peppers in a salad. Then, drizzle olive oil and vinegar over the top. You can combine black beans with kidney beans for a healthy, delicious vegetarian chilli.

Almonds

Nuts have demonstrated the ability to lower blood cholesterol. Almonds are a good choice for anyone looking to be a health nut. They are rich in plant omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, fibre, and heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Almonds can be eaten in many ways. You can add them to yoghurt, salads, and even snack on healthy trail mixes. They can also be used in cooking. Sprinkle them on rice or quinoa dishes or over salmon for a delicious crunch. For additional protection, choose unsalted almonds.

Eat almonds raw or dried roasted, and be mindful of portion sizes. Almonds are good for your heart, but they can also be high in fat, including some saturated fat. Almonds, like other nuts, are high in calories and can be very filling. It would help if you ate them in moderation.

Walnuts

Walnuts offer a lot more health protection than almonds or other tree nuts. They are rich in plant omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium and folate.

Walnuts add a rich crunch to salads, just like almonds. They are great in muffins and pancakes.

They are good for your heart, but they can also be high in calories and fat, so they should only be consumed in moderation. Remember to limit the number of walnuts you eat. A walnut serving should be small enough to fit in your palm and contain approximately 200 calories.

Red Wine

Catechins are a type of flavonoids found in red wine and antioxidants resveratrol. Flavonoids may prevent blood clots by helping to maintain blood vessel health. In the laboratory, Resveratrol was shown to have heart-protecting properties.

Enjoy a glass of wine along with your dinner or a wine spritzer. This allows you to reduce calories and still reap the many benefits of wine.

The American Heart Association doesn’t recommend that people drink to prevent heart disease. Alcoholism is a condition that can cause high blood pressure, weight gain, stroke, cancer, suicide, and auto accidents. Red wine should be enjoyed in moderation. For example, one glass of red wine with a meal.

Tuna

Tuna contains omega-3 fatty acids. Tuna is moderately high in omega-3 fatty acids, although it’s not as high as salmon. Tuna provides approximately half of your daily intake of niacin. This nutrient may help improve survival chances for people who have suffered a heart attack.

A tuna salad with light mayo is a quick lunch option that will fill you up. Tuna is a delicious topping for salads and can be grilled to make a delicious dinner.

Choose canned tuna

Canned tuna is a popular form of seafood in America. Choosing the right canned tuna with so many options can be difficult. White tuna is made from albacore, and light tuna is made from smaller types of tuna (usually skipjack). White contains more omega-3s but has higher mercury levels. This is a concern, especially for pregnant women.

Some tuna is available in oil and some in water. The amount of omega 3 fat in tuna diluted in water is significantly higher than the one found in the oil. This is because much of the omega 3 fat in tuna is lost with any oil you take out of the can.