February 13, 2011
By Jessica Forbes MS, CCN
It’s February—happy American Heart Month! Here are five important (yet simple) dietary ways to love your heart. Enjoy!
1. Eat six to eight servings of colorful vegetables each day (a serving of vegetables is half a cup). Choose fresh, frozen, or home canned (in glass jars) over canned vegetables in metal cans. Eat a variety of colors to be sure you’re getting an assortment of nutrients—the compounds that make vegetables colorful actually have different health benefits! Vegetables can be easily and healthfully enjoyed raw, lightly steamed with olive oil or grassfed butter, or stir-fried with your favorite protein source.
2. Eat two to three cloves of garlic daily, or if you’re not a fan of garlic take a daily garlic supplement in pill form. Garlic contains compounds which have been shown to reduce the formation of unwanted blood clots—an important benefit in preventing heart attack and stroke.
3. Eat two tablespoons of raw walnuts each day. Walnuts are significantly higher than other nuts in omega 3 fats, the type of fat that has been shown to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. They taste great on their own as a snack, or can be chopped up and served over oatmeal or salads.
4. Eat one tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil daily. Olive oil is a rich source of antioxidants and monounsaturated fat, two key ingredients that have been found to keep cholesterol levels in balance and prevent heart disease.
5. Eat small, clean fish twice per week. Fish contains protein and heart-healthy fats that fight inflammation. Smaller varieties of fish contain less mercury than larger fish. See www.gotmercury.org for a list of healthy fish choices.