Eating Right for the Sake of Your Heart
By Stephen R. Farris
When it comes to eating healthily, there are a ton of diets available that you can try. Some of them can actually benefit you in ways of reducing your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, lowering your blood pressure, and so on.
However, you don't always have to follow a certain diet plan to gain the health benefits you're looking for. Simply choose the right foods to include in your daily diet, especially if you're looking out for your heart health. To help you get started, check out some of these foods.
Fresh Fruits and Raw Veggies
Eating for the health of your heart should start by consuming more fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Even though fresh fruits contain natural sugars, try to avoid fruits with high sugar content and stay away from processed fruits such as those found in your canned goods aisle at the grocery store. Those are super high in sugar. Raw vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, green leafy varieties (collard greens, turnip greens), and others are great food choices when it comes to your heart health. You should try to avoid canned vegetables, but if that's your only option, then read the label to see how much sodium and/or hidden sugars are in them. Producers are starting to reduce the amount of sodium and sugars in canned vegetables. Some have products that are sodium-free and sugar-free as well.
Add Lean Meats to Your Daily Diet
Eating leaner cuts of meat can be great for your heart-healthy diet. Choose lean cuts of chicken, turkey, pork, and red meat (limited quantities though), and also include fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, and herring. These selections of fish are best when adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.
Other foods to consider adding to your heart-healthy diet are:
Nuts, beans, and legumes
Whole grains
Olive oil
Low-fat dairy products
Eggs
Avocados
You should also drink plenty of water and avoid drinks that contain lots of sugar. You might consider getting more exercise such as swimming, walking, and training with weights. You should also consult with your primary care physician and/or your local chiropractor before starting any diet or exercise program.
The bottom line is when it comes to the health of your heart, it starts with making a few changes to your daily lifestyle.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Dallas, Tex.