Prioritize your heart health this year by including more heart-healthy foods in your diet! Eating a heart-healthy diet comes with many benefits including lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight, increased energy levels, and lowering your risk of heart disease. Continue reading to find out a few of the best heart-healthy foods to include in your diet this year!
1. Fatty Fish
- Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and tuna are great for heart health. They are packed with omega-3 fatty acids which are unsaturated fats that are great for reducing the risk of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation and help prevent damage to the blood vessels.
2. Whole Grains
- Whole grains are a great food group to add to your diet because they contain all the nutrient-rich parts of the grain. A few types of whole grains are whole wheat, brown rice, oat, and quinoa. Whole grain foods can help lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
3. Leafy Green Vegetables
- Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Leafy greens are rich in nitrates which have been linked to better heart health. You can add more leafy green vegetables to your diet by eating them in a salad, adding them to a soup, or blending them into smoothies.
4. Berries
- Berries are great for your heart health because they are rich in antioxidants and full of vitamins and minerals that can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Berries can help lower cholesterol, manage blood sugar, and reduce inflammation.
5. Seeds
- Chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds are all great seeds to incorporate into your heart-healthy diet. Seeds are a great source of nutrients that are heart-healthy. Seeds are rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids which can help improve heart health. You could add seeds to yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies to increase your nutrient intake throughout the day!
In 2023, start prioritizing your heart health and incorporate more heart-healthy foods into your diet. This month is American Heart Month and is the perfect time to learn more about how you can improve your heart health. If you have any questions about your heart health, contact us today!