Being one of the most vital organs of human anatomy, the heart needs care and timely attention. While medical checks at intervals are precautionary, the best preventive measure to keep your heart healthy lies in your daily diet. 

 

Around 16 % of global deaths are directly caused by health diseases, making heart disease one of the leading causes of death worldwide. However, experts suggest maintaining a healthy diet can prevent heart disease sooner or later. Therefore, understand what foods should be in your diet and what not to eat to prevent heart disease. Here is some help for you. 

 

Best Heart-Healthy Diets to Prevent Heart Disease

The first thing you should do to keep your heart healthy is change your diet. If you are interested in keeping your heart healthy or dealing with a recovery process after heart disease, follow the diet here. Experts from Cardiovascular Center in Goodyear mostly recommend this diet. So, let’s know that! Learn how a healthy diet can enhance your heart health. 

 

• Whole Grains

You may not know, but Whole grains consist of complex carbs and fibre, which are extremely important in our body to keep us energetic and free from digestive issues. As their name suggests, whole grains contain the whole part of the grain: bran, germ, and endosperm. This is an amazing source of dietary fiber, which helps reduce chloride levels in the blood. 

 

This reduces the risks of heart disease. Whole-grain meals, such as brown rice, wheat bread, oats, quinoa, barley, etc., can be tried daily. For example, you can have whole wheat pasta for breakfast, brown rice for lunch, and oats or whole wheat spaghetti for dinner.  

 

• Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables are our prime sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The peels of fruits and vegetables contain fibre that helps maintain good heart health by reducing cholesterol. The antioxidants from fruits and veggies will keep the heart cells young and rejuvenated. 

 

Therefore, include more and more green leafy vegetables in your regular diet. In the case of fruits, try to have two types of fruits of different colours daily. But do not over-exceed, considering the sugary content in fruits. Lay special stress on apples, berries, oranges, carrots, broccoli, and peppers.

 

• Lean Protein

Protein is vital to our diet as it helps us regain our muscles, tissues, and cell growth in different organs, including the heart. However, the type of protein you consume matters regarding your heart health. 

 

Lean protein provides amino acids that are good for heart health while eliminating unwanted fats and cholesterol harmful to the heart. Some lean protein sources are lentils, tofu beans, skinless poultry, and fish, especially salmon with omega-3 fatty acids. You can have a variety of them cooked and served regularly for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 

• Low-fat Dairy Products

Calcium and vitamin D, abundantly available in dairy products, are proven healthy for your heart and bones. However, full-fat milk or other dairy products also contain saturated fat. So, to avoid this, always choose low-fat or fat-free milk in your daily diet. 

 

You can also include low-fat yoghurt paneer and part-skim cheese in your diet. Start your day with a glass of fresh milk, add yoghurt to your afternoon salads, and add a bit of cheese to your pasta or sandwiches. 

 

• Healthy Fats 

Your health is not totally at war with fats. Some polyunsaturated fats are, in fact, good for your heart. These unsaturated fats can even reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol, reducing inflammation and boosting the heart’s healthy functioning. 

 

Avocado and nuts like almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and olives are sources of healthy fat that you can have in your daily diet.

 

Therefore, according to the opinions of the best heart care centre, Goodyear, these are the five broad categories of healthy food variants that you can include in your good-heart healthy diet. But along with including good food, you will need to know what food to avoid to keep heart disease away.

 

What Food Should You Avoid to Lower the Risk of Developing Heart Disease?

There is a huge list of foods that are not so friendly for your heart. Overconsuming these foods for a prolonged period will raise cholesterol levels, inflammation and blood pressure. Therefore, to keep your heart healthy, you need to avoid food, including;

 

• Excess Amount of Sodium

Excess sodium intake will directly harm your heart health. The salty snacks you so dearly relish increase your blood pressure levels, directly putting pressure on your heart, which is the blood-pumping machine. Foods that contain high quantities of sodium are chips, packaged food, canned food and soups, candy bars, soft drinks, salty snacks, and processed food. 

 

Always opt for fresh, unprocessed food, meats, and vegetables to limit your sodium intake. Limit your salt consumption in regular cooking. Instead of sprinkling salt, you can use herbs and spices to flavour your salads.

 

• Saturated and Trans Fat

Saturated and trans fats are instantly linked to increasing LDL, or bad cholesterol, in your blood. According to experts from a heart care centre in Goodyear, this cholesterol accumulates in your veins and creates heart blockage. 

 

Therefore, to avoid saturated and trans-fat intake, avoid foods such as red meat, butter, fried and backed products, margarine, and other processed foods.

 

• Added Sugar

Sugar is an instant calorie gainer. Too much sugar consumption directly increases weight, which results in direct pressure on the heart. Therefore, to minimise sugar consumption, you must rule out candies, ice creams, desserts, SSBs, and anything sugary.   

Conclusion

Whether you have had recent heart surgery, have detected heart disease, or are just cautious about your heart health, following the above diet will improve your health. With strict observance of this diet and complete abstinence from unhealthy food options, you can free your delicate heart from risks.

 

If you are searching for a centre with cardiologists who are the best cardiovascular experts in Goodyear, visit Advanced Cardiovascular Center. This cardiovascular center in Goodyear has cardiologists with years of experience. 

 

FAQs

 

• When can I see results after starting the heart-healthy diet?

After 2 to 3 weeks of starting a heart-healthy diet, you may see active results. You may feel more energetic, and your blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol levels may be dropping to normal. 

• What is the healthiest diet for the heart?

Your healthiest diet will include eating more fresh & healthy vegetables and fruits, lean protein, and whole grain meals. In addition to making nutritious food choices, you must sincerely eliminate harmful food for your heart health.

• Which fruit cleans the heart?

Antioxidant-rich foods clean and rejuvenate the heart cells and muscles. Foods that contain antioxidants are apples, oranges, berries, papaya, mangoes and guava.

• Which food is strong for the heart?

Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, are best for your heart. Lean protein foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, skinless chicken and turkey, green vegetables, and fruits are other essentials for heart health.