Fresh Herbs
If you incorporate these into foods instead of salt and fat and salt, you’re making a healthy choice. They impart flavor but without the harmful ingredients. Spices and other food items are delicious ways to stay bright and healthy.
Black Beans
Soft, tender black beans are loaded with healthy nutrients for your heart. Folate antioxidants, folate, and magnesium may help reduce blood pressure. The fiber in beans helps regulate cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. Include beans in soups to increase the nutritional value and salads.
Tips for Preparing: Rinse canned beans to get rid of any salt.
Red Wine and Resveratrol
If you are a drinker and red wine, a small amount can be a good choice for heart health. Resveratrol and catechins, two antioxidants present in red wine, can help protect the walls of arteries. Alcohol may also increase HDL, which is the good cholesterol.
Tips: Too much alcohol harms your heart. Do not drink more than one drink daily for women or two for males. It’s best to speak to your physician first. Alcohol can pose a problem when taking aspirin or other medicines.
Salmon: Super Food
A must-have food for a healthy heart, this food is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are good fats that can lower the risks of developing heart rhythm disorders and reduce blood pressure. They can also reduce the triglycerides level and reduce inflammation. It is suggested that the American Heart Association recommends two portions of salmon or another oily fish every week.
Cooking Tips: Bake salmon in foil with veggies and herbs. Mix extra cooked salmon in the form of fish tacos or salads.
Tuna for Omega-3s
It is often less expensive as salmon is a tuna rich in omega-3s. Albacore (white tuna) is rich in omega-3s than the other varieties of tuna. Grill tuna steaks with lemon and dill. Also, try sources of omega-3: mackerel, herring, sardines, lake trout, and anchovies.
Tips for Health: Choose tuna packed with water instead of oil to maintain its heart-healthy qualities.
Olive Oil
It’s a health fat derived from mashed olives. It’s rich in heart-healthy antioxidants. They could shield your blood vessels. Olive oil can replace saturated fat (like butter) and helps lower your cholesterol level. It is excellent on salads and cooked vegetables or bread.
Tip for taste: For the best flavor, choose cold-pressed products and keep them in use for six months.
Walnuts
A few walnuts daily can help reduce the cholesterol levels in your body. They can also help prevent the inflammation of your heart’s arteries. Walnuts are a great source of omega-3s and healthy fats known as monounsaturated fats, phytosterols, and fiber. Benefits accrue when walnuts replace unhealthy fats, such as chips and cookies.
Tips: Try walnut oil in salad dressings.
Almonds
Almonds sliced in a nut are great with fish, vegetables, chicken, and desserts. They contain plant sterols, fiber, and healthy fats for the heart. Almonds can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol. Take a few handfuls daily.
Tasting TipToast the cookies to enhance their mild, creamy flavor.
Edamame
You might have seen them as a snack at some Asian restaurant. Edamameis is the Japanese word used for soybeans. Soy protein is an excellent source of protein to decrease cholesterol levels. Edamame, a cup of 8 grams of fiber, is heart-healthy. You’d have to consume around four slices for that amount of fiber from bread made of whole grain.
Tips: Take frozen edamame, boil it, then serve it warm in the pod. Spinning the delicious beans from the hard pod is an excellent snack.
Tofu
Tofu is an excellent soy protein source and a vegetarian source of minerals, fiber, and polyunsaturated oils. It may take its flavor from the sauces or spices you cook.
TIPS: Chop firm tofu, marinate, and grill or stir-fry without oil. Tofu can be added to soups to provide proteins with a low amount of fat.
Sweet Potatoes
Switch white potatoes to sweet potatoes. Because they have lower glucose scores than white potatoes, these sweet potatoes will not cause an immediate increase in blood sugar levels. They also contain fiber, vitamin A as well as Lycopene.
Taste Tips: Boost their natural sweetness by adding lime juice and cinnamon pinch instead of sweet toppings.
Oranges
Fruity and sweet oranges contain the anti-cholesterol fiber pectin. They also contain potassium, which is a blood pressure-reducing agent. In a study, two cups of OJ every day improved the health of blood vessels. Also, it reduces blood pressure for men.
Food Tip: An orange of medium size has 62 calories and 3g of fiber.
Swiss Chard
This dark green leafy vegetable is high in potassium as well as magnesium. These minerals can help lower blood pressure. Swiss Chard is also rich in high-quality fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants zeaxanthin and Lutein. Serve it with grill meats or as a bed for your fish.
Tips for Preparing: Saute it with garlic and olive oil until the garlic is soft. Add herbs and pepper.
Barley
Try this whole grain that is nutty to replace rice. It is also possible to simmer barley in stews and soups. The fiber found in barley could aid in lowering cholesterol levels. It can lower blood sugar levels as well.
Tips: Get to know your barley. The hulled (or “whole grain” barley is the most healthy. Grits of barley are toasted and then ground. They can be used as a cereal or a delicious dessert. Pearl barley is fast. However, a good portion of the fiber, which is healthy for you, is gone.