Five Foods that are Kind to Your Heart

Foods for your Heart

We know that the heart and the brain are two of the most important, if not most important, organs of the body. With that in mind, we should be doing things that enhance these two organs. What can we do to enhance our heart? We know that we need to exercise, stop smoking, and eat right.

Eating right can be an issue for many people. It may be not that do not want to eat right but do not know how. Many of the foods that are healthy are not as tasty as other nonhealthy foods. That’s the problem. Also, we are creatures of habit. We eat the same old food every week or day. It’s hard to build up the energy to change how we eat. We can do it for a little bit before we lapse back into the same old pattern.

Small changes in your diet count. I am going to talk about some easy ways to change your eating habit to:

1. Satisfy your craving for salty crunchy snacks.

2. Boost your energy

3. Please your sweet tooth

4. Answer craving for meat

5. Satisfy feelings of satiety

I love potato chips, the saltiness and crispiness of them are yummy. I only eat one brand. I tried baked potato chips as a substitute. Another substitute might be nuts. I like them too; however, I can eat more than a serving at a time. To limit to one serving at a time, I buy nuts in the shell. I have to crack them and get the pieces out. This uses up time which is extremely helpful in cutting down on food consumption.

Stay away from energy drinks and sodas that boost your energy. Try coffee and tea with contain antioxidants that aid in reducing your cholesterol level which in turn may reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease. Limit intake of caffeine to no more than 400 milligrams(mg) per day.

Nothing pleases my sweet tooth more than chocolate and cake. I like milk chocolate the most, but I will switch between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains contain flavanols found in cocoa that may lower blood pressure and improve flow of blood through blood vessels.

Most people eat meat daily. Try eating healthier cuts of meats and eating salmon or albacore tuna. Look for meats that are lean and that are at least 90% meat and less than 10% fat. Eating leaner cuts of meat will decrease your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as prevent cholesterol deposits (fat plaques) in your blood vessels that make it harder for your heart to pump blood throughout the body.

Typically, many people eat some type of white side dish like rice, potatoes, noodles, or breads with each meal. These starchy sides may increase your blood sugar or glucose levels. Try eating two vegetables or use whole grain pasta, brown rice, or wild rice instead of white starches.