Ten Heart Healthy Foods You Should Be Eating Now

Your heart works its a$$ off every minute of every day that you’re alive.  It beats, on average, 100,000 times every day, pumping 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries.  And what do we offer in return?  Fast food burgers and fries, soda, and processed snacks like potato chips, cookies, and Twinkies, that’s what.  So what?  What effect does junk food have on our heart?  Well, the heart is a muscle that contracts involuntarily and, like every other muscle, it needs proper nutrients to function properly and efficiently.

Also, like every other muscle, it requires oxygen to survive.  However, it does not get oxygen from all the blood that passes through its four chambers.  Your heart gets its oxygen from its own, specific set of arteries called coronary arteries and these narrow tubes are prone to plaque build up called arteriolosclerosis.   This plaque can build up more quickly depending upon the contents of the food we eat, like fatty fast food.  And if these coronary arteries become totally blocked, it could be hasta la vista, baby.

So, with all this in mind, here are ten foods that will help your heart help keep you alive (as I typed that sentence, I thought of the line from “Jerry Maguire” where they’re arguing in the shower and Jerry screams at Rod, “Help me, help you!”  and of the Queen song, “Keep Yourself Alive.”  Random, I know).

• Black beans – “Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat…” Yes, both parts of that rhyme are true, but the first half applies here.  The soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, B-complex vitamins, niacin, folate, magnesium, calcium, and antioxidants present in black beans support a healthy heart, can lower blood pressure, control cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A couple of tips for the second part of that rhyme: Add greens like spinach to the beans, and eat them with rice. Also chew well!
• Oatmeal – As with almost every food on this list, oatmeal contains omega-3 fatty acids and is loaded with fiber (4 grams/cup), magnesium, potassium and iron. Just avoid the pre-sweetened, processed variety.  Look for steel cut oats and sweeten it up with fresh berries.
• Blueberries – which can be sprinkled in with your steel cut oats. For being so small, blueberries pack quite a punch.  They contain beta-carotene, lutein, flavonoids, ellagic acid, vitamin C, folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber.  Maybe that’s why blueberries are considered a heart healthy superfood.
• Salmon – Which shows up on every healthy food list ever made. Why?  Omega-3 fatty acids again.  They can decrease your risk if heart arrhythmias, lower your triglyceride levels, lower your blood pressure and fight arteriolosclerosis.  Farmed raised salmon have more omega 3s, but also tend to have more total fat due to their diet but still have less fat than the same amount of red meat.
• Ground flaxseed – Yeah, sound yummy, right? Well, I’m not asking you to spoon it straight into your mouth, although you can if you like…bit dry I would think as it resembles coarse flour.  However, it also contains omega 3s, soluble and insoluble fiber, lignans, and plant estrogen that has antioxidant qualities.  Simply sprinkle some on your cereal, yogurt or into your fruit smoothie.
• Walnuts – can lower your cholesterol and prevent inflammation of the arteries due to their omega 3s, healthy monounsaturated fats, plant sterols, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium. Just eat them in moderation due to their high fat and caloric content, a handful per day ought to suffice.
• Red wine – because of a flavonoid called catechins and an antioxidant called resveratrol which help maintain the health of blood vessels and prevent blood clots. Remember, it is alcohol, so drink in moderation.  One glass with dinner ought to suffice.
• Tuna-has almost as many omega 3s as salmon and also packs a lot of niacin. White tuna has more omega 3s but more mercury.  Also, if you purchase canned tuna, ensure its packed in water, not oil, as most people drain off the oil which drains off the omega 3s with it.  Don’t drain off the water to ensure you get all the omega 3s.
• Carrots – which are full of beta-carotene and alpha and gamma carotenes as well which lower the risk of heart disease and strokes.
• Sweet potatoes – pack a lot of heart healthy nutrients in an ugly package like vitamins A, C, and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber (which you get more of if you eat the skin). Think about replacing your potato French fries with baked sweet potato fries.

Your heart is an amazing organ that will serve you well for 70 years or so (without an underlying defect) as long as it is treated with a little TLC.  And one form of tender loving care can come in the form of providing it with the proper nutrients and the ten listed above are a good start.   Check out our heart-healthy meals on MagicKitchen.com!