Eating a heart-healthy diet is one of the best things you can do to promote heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease. There are a lot of tasty, healthy foods that you can work into your diet daily for a healthier heart. Here’s a list of some of the best heart-healthy foods that you should be eating if your goal is to improve your heart health.
1. Leafy Green Vegetables
Some of the best heart-healthy foods are leafy green vegetables. These include spinach, kale, chard, bok choy, romaine lettuce, arugula, and mustard greens. Dark leafy greens are full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are also high in nitrates that are beneficial for heart health because they help open blood vessels to allow oxygen-rich blood to reach your heart. You can add these vegetables to your diet by tossing a handful into a smoothie or soup, sauteeing them as a side dish, or eating a side salad with your meal.
2. Fresh Fruits
If you want to eat heart-healthy foods, a great place to start is with fresh fruits. Fruits contain nutritious vitamins and fiber. In particular, berries such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries are especially beneficial because they are full of heart-healthy antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. These superfoods are also low in sugar and calories, making them great to add to your smoothies and salads or to enjoy as a healthy dessert alternative.
3. Whole Grains
One of the best types of heart-healthy foods you should be including in your diet is whole grains. If your goal is to improve your heart health, aim to eat three servings of whole grains per day. These could include brown rice, wild rice, oats, quinoa, popcorn, and whole-grain breads or pastas. Try to replace refined grains with whole grains so you can enjoy the foods you like while consuming additional nutrients and dietary fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels.
4. Low-Fat or Fat-Free Dairy
Dairy products contain calcium and vitamin D, which can help strengthen bones, improve mood, and preserve muscle strength. These heart-healthy foods can also help control high blood pressure. To get all these great nutrients while minimizing fat, opt for low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as skim or 1% milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, and fortified dairy alternatives.
5. Healthy Fats
Omega-3 fatty acids are a good type of fat that provides great benefits for the heart, such as lowering triglycerides, keeping arteries from hardening, and regulating heart beat. That’s why healthy fats are some of the best heart-healthy foods that you should be eating. Omega-3s can be found in fatty fish like tuna, salmon, and sardines, as well as avocados and nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and cashews. Replace canola oil with olive oil or avocado oil whenever possible to add more healthy fats to your diet.
Boost Your Heart Health with Pharmaceutical-Grade Supplements
These are some of the top heart-healthy foods that you should be including in your daily diet. Your heart may need more help than what it can get from food alone, though. That’s where supplements come in. Heart Health Complex is a pharmaceutical-grade supplement that provides your heart with the nutrients it needs to support proper function, including potassium, magnesium, CoQ10, taurine, and hawthorn extract.
If you have any questions about how to improve your heart health or you’re interested in learning more about heart-healthy supplements, please reach out to us at Midtown Express Pharmacy. We look forward to helping you along your health journey!
