World Heart Day: Include These In Your Diet To Prevent Heart Disease

1) Including Healthy Fats:

Foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fats are considered to be heart healthy.

Salmon and walnuts are superfoods for the heart, as they decrease the levels of triglycerides, lower the blood pressure level and reduce plague.

Foods which reduce the bad cholesterol or LDL, for example oats, can keep our heart healthy.

2) Control The Portion Sizes:

Controlling the amount of food you eat in a meal is really important.

Dieticians time and again have specified that eating small portions of food throughout the day will help keep your weight in check, as weight gain is said to be the root cause of all the heart diseases.

Also, eating at regular intervals will keep you full, discouraging you to snack on unhealthy foods.

3) Eat More Of Fruits And Vegetables:

Fruits and vegetables contain a host of vitamins and minerals. They are low in fat and calories.

It is proven that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of heart diseases and stroke. It also reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

They are rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients which are extremely heart healthy. Antioxidants are molecules that fight the damage done by free radicals, which are a cause of heart diseases.

Another reason to include these jewels in your diet is that certain nutrients, which are found in many fruits and veggies and which are required by our body on a daily basis, are not to be found in any other foods.

4) Fibre-rich Foods:

Soluble fibres lower the bad cholesterol by absorbing them through the digestive system.

Replacing refined foods with fibre-rich foods have also reduced the risk of strokes and diabetes, which are co-related to heart diseases.

A high-fibre diet lowers blood pressure. It also keeps you full for long, thereby encouraging you to eat healthy.

5) Low-fat Food:

Avoiding saturated and trans-fats in your diet will help reduce heart diseases. These fats are responsible for the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries of the heart. Blocked arteries reduce the blood flow to the heart, resulting in a heart attack.

6) Less Sodium Intake:

Salt contains a mineral called sodium, which regulates the fluids in our body. When there is extra sodium in our body, it fills the fluid in the blood vessels, increasing the volume of the blood inside.

This in turn leads to increase in blood pressure. The heart has to work extra time in pumping the blood. This increases the risk of heart attack.

So, this World Heart Day, resolve to make the necessary dietary changes in your life to have a healthy heart. After all, a healthy Heart is a Healthy You!!!