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You are what you eat. There’s no other way to say it better. The foods you eat and the foods you avoid will determine the state of your health and how you look and feel.
If the foods you consume are high in sugar, saturated fats and mainly processed, your body will suffer inflammation, and you’ll probably be overweight. Inflammation is the root cause of heart disease.
So, avoiding these foods will do you a world of good at combating heart disease.
Besides knowing what foods to avoid, you should also be aware of beneficial foods that you should make a part of your diet. You’ll then be able to reap the ‘heart healthy’ benefits that can be derived from consuming them.
Fatty Fish
Fish like sardines, Alaskan salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel contain fish oils that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It’s important that you only purchase fish that are caught in the wild. Do not consume fish which are farm-raised. This applies to fish oil supplements too. The oil must come from wild fish.
Our diets are too high in omega-6 fatty acids. This is due to the excessive use of hydrogenated oils which are detrimental to our health. Even though they look clean and golden on the supermarket shelves, most of these vegetable oils are harmful to our bodies in the long run.
The fish that you consume will restore the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in your body. This will reduce inflammation, lower your bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease in the long run.
Grass-Fed Beef
While it’s best to consume red meat in moderation, if you’re going to eat beef, stick to grass-fed beef. Cows were meant to eat grass, but the food manufacturing industry which puts money above everything else, feeds the cows grains that are loaded with hormones, antibiotics and steroids.
This creates meat that contains a lot of inflammatory omega-6 fats… and by now you know that inflammation leads to heart disease. So, stick to grass-fed beef. This is organic meat that will not cause your body to become inflamed
Turmeric
Used in India for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, the West has just discovered the potency of this spice. One of the best natural anti-inflammatory spices, turmeric can be used in your cooking or you could mix it in your milk. The curcumin, which is the active ingredient in the turmeric is also an antioxidant. You could also consume curcumin supplements to get your daily dose of this miracle spice.
Red Wine
No list on heart healthy foods would be complete without mentioning red wine. It is well-known for reducing your risk of heart disease. While resveratrol (a polyphenol found in red wine) gets a lot of mention as a potent antioxidant, red wine contains many other antioxidants that benefit your heart.
Red wine is chockful of flavonoids that prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol which causes inflammation. This is one of the reasons red wine is so potent for preventing heart disease. One or two glasses of wine a day should suffice. There’s no need to go overboard and become an alcoholic in the name of preventing heart disease.
Garlic
The allicin, which is the active ingredient in garlic, prevents blood clots from forming in your arteries. It also lowers your cholesterol and has antioxidant and antiviral properties. This is one of the MOST beneficial foods you could consume. It’s best to crush it and use it in your cooking to get the benefits. Alternatively, you could get garlic supplements and consume them.
Include these 5 foods in your diet and you’ll not only improve your health, but will greatly reduce your risk of heart disease.
If you would like to receive a free resource sheet to support your quest for better heart health, click the button below to receive your gift.
I’m excited to talk about this topic today because not only do I truly believe that you have the power to reverse heart disease and lower high blood pressure to improve your health, but the science also agrees! You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of these chronic diseases so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
As you may already know, I use lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you improve blood pressure and reverse heart disease. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy. But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
There is a common saying, “You can’t outrun a bad diet.” This is especially true when it comes to heart health. Diet is sooooo very important… Did you know that your diet could be the key to a healthy heart? It’s true – what you eat (and don’t eat) can have a big impact on your cardiovascular health. So, if you’re looking to keep your heart in tip-top shape, make sure you pay attention to what you put on your plate.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to eat a healthy diet in this day and age. It is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.
Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.
Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
If you need extra help in getting the nutrients you need, and/or are unable to eat better, the supplements in my Healthy Heart Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
These are my favorite Heart Health Supplements to use! This Healthy Heart Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency while you lose weight and improve your heart health, naturally.
For best results make sure you use my heart health supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).
Tools to Improve Heart Health
Blood Pressure Monitoring
It’s very important to monitor your blood pressure. I often recommend an automatic upper arm blood pressure cuff, but a wrist blood pressure monitor is also acceptable.
Weight Monitoring
Since weight management is very important in blood pressure control, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor.
Taking Charge Of Your Heart Health
Heart health is a big topic. It’s in the news, on our minds, and for good reason; heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. But what if there was something you could do proactively to help protect your heart from future problems? Enter the CardiaX test—a revolutionary new way to take charge of your heart health!
What is CardiaX?
CardiaX is a comprehensive genetic testing panel that looks at mutations associated with common cardiovascular risks. It can be used to determine if there are any genetic factors at play in your heart health, and it can also identify potential areas of risk that may require further action. With this knowledge, you can make informed choices about your health today with the aim of improving long-term heart health outcomes.
Who Might Benefit from CardiaX?
If you have been diagnosed with or are at risk for atherosclerosis, abnormal cholesterol production, hypertension, stroke risk, and risk for heart attack then you may benefit from this test. Additionally, anyone who wants to know more about their genetic predispositions for common cardiovascular risks may also want to consider taking this test as well.
What Can I Do With My Results?
Your results will give you an indication of whether or not there are any potential genetic markers playing a role in your risk for developing certain conditions related to heart health. From there, you can work with your healthcare provider to develop a plan that takes into account these findings and helps you develop strategies for managing them going forward. In addition to lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise modification, selecting medications that are tailored specifically to your genetics could be beneficial as well.
In A Nutshell…
The CardiaX test is an exciting new way to take charge of your heart health by learning more about how genetics might be playing a role in certain cardiovascular risks. With this knowledge in hand, patients can make decisions informed by their own unique genetic profile that will help reduce their overall risk for developing certain conditions associated with heart disease. This type of proactive approach is key when it comes to protecting ourselves against this all-too-common affliction—so don’t wait another minute! Take control of your future and get started with the CardiaX test today!
Remember, healthy lifestyle behaviors–like eating a whole-foods plant-based diet that is low in sodium, being physically active, and stress management are the best ways to prevent and control high blood pressure. Please talk with your doctor about any complementary health approaches, including supplements, you use.
Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. As one of the nation’s most acclaimed primary care and public health physicians, she is a nationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, consultant and media personality. She is the Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of DrNicolleMD.com, where she discusses actionable ideas and real-world strategies to help people take control of their health using integrative therapies and lifestyle change.
Dr. Nicolle also shares her knowledge via her popular social media accounts “Maximize Health” to help people pursue a healthier life. Her motto is simple: Minimize Medications, Maximize Health. With her credentials and warm “bedside manner,” it’s no wonder that the doctor is renowned as “America’s Favorite Family Physician.”
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Last updated on April 4th, 2023 at 02:51 pm
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