The Daily Dose - Heart Healthy Foods

Heart Healthy Foods

The heart is our most vital organ and it is important that we nourish it.  Certain foods are particularly beneficial for our hearts. Many of these foods are fairly common and easy to incorporate into our lives.  However, while incorporating these heart healthy foods we must eliminate processed foods and replace them with raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Nuts and seeds are great foods that are rich in Omega 3’s which helps to reduce inflammation, which is one of the primary causes of cardiovascular disease. 

Greens are also a beneficial food with some of the top players being spinach, kale, collards and green superfoods like the spirulina and chlorella in Enerfood Super Green Drink.  Greens are rich in calcium, magnesium, and other essential nutrients that the body uses to nourish our muscles. The heart being the hardest working muscle in the body especially benefits from the consuption of greens.  

Other plant based foods to incorporate are those rich in Carotenes and antioxidants, as your body need these nutrients to protect your cells. Foods that are rich in these nutrients are; sweet potatoes, orange squashes, carrots, orange and yellow peppers, melons etc…

Another important nutrient is Phytoesterols, which resemble cholesterol, but is the good form of cholesterol and anti-inflammatory in nature. These can help reduce the body’s need to make more cholesterol.

In essence when we consume foods that are nutrient rich, alkaline, and anti inflammatory in nature, such as anti-oxidant rich fruits, vegetables, good fats, nuts and seeds, with a lower emphasis on the fruits, we keep our hearts and ourselves much healthier.