Eating your way to a Healthy Heart

This February is National Heart month and is designed to raise awareness of the UK’s biggest killer – Cardiovascular Disease. Around 2.6 Million People in the UK are living with coronary heart disease, and we will all know of someone who has it or we have very sadly, lost from it. Yet, it’s a disease that is preventable and as individuals, we have the chance to greatly reduce our risk of developing it by minimising the associated risk factors and making some key lifestyle changes. These changes may be life changing, not just for you but your family also. We are all responsible for our own health and by incorporating a few healthy changes to your daily routine you might just be adding years to your life! Go on start to today & keep your Heart Healthy!

A great starting point is your diet. This is one of the areas where we can make significant changes and reap the benefits of doing so. Certain foods have been shown to exert positive actions upon the cardiovascular system and by including a variety of these foods in your diet you are offering your body additional protection & support to lessen your risk of developing heart disease. Why not pop them onto your shopping list today? Make them part of your healthy balanced diet.

TOP HEART HEALTHY FOODS

• Pomegranate – pomegranates contain phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to protect the lining of the arteries from damage. A study published in Proceedings of Natural Academy of Sciences found that antioxidant rich pomegranate juice stimulated the body’s production of nitric oxide, which help keeps blood flowing & arteries open.
• OmegaOils – fatty fish, such as mackerel, herring, tuna & salmon are packed full of Omega 3 fatty acids. Eating oily fish twice a week can reduce your risk of heart disease by decreasing inflammation and lowering triglyceride levels, it may even boost HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Krill Oil is also highly recommended, this a sustainable and highly absorbable source of Omega 3 and protected from rancidity due to a naturally occuring antioxidant called astaxanthin contained within. The benefits of omega-3 fats go far beyond normalizing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies have shown these fats to be: Antiarrhythmic: counteracting or preventing cardiac arrhythmia, Antithrombotic: tending to prevent thrombosis (a blood clot within a blood vessel) and Antiatherosclerotic: preventing fatty deposits and fibrosis of the inner layer of your arteries from forming.
• Asparagus – according to Shane Ellison, author of ‘Over the counter Natural Cures’, Asparagus is one of the best natural artery clearing foods around. It works within 100,000 miles of veins & arteries to release pressure, thereby allowing the body to accommodate for inflammation that has accumulated over the years. It also helps ward off deadly clots.
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• Broccoli – full of fibre and vitamin K. A high fibre diet can also help to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Turmeric – This spice is a powerful natural anti inflammatory – it contains curcumin which lowers inflammation – a major cause of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). A 2009 study found that curcumin helps reduce fatty deposits in arteries by as much as 26%. Also available in supplement form.
• Spirulina – A daily dose of this blue green algae, usually found in powder or supplement form can help relax the artery walls and help in normalising blood pressure. It may also help your liver balance blood fat levels – decreasing LDL Cholesterol (the harmful one) by 10% and raising HDL (the good one) levels by 15% according to a recent study.
•  Cinnamon – just one teaspoon a day of anti oxidant rich cinnamon can help reduce fats in the blood stream, helping to prevent plaque build up in the arteries and lower cholesterol levels by 26%. Sprinkle onto porridge daily. Also great in helping to balance blood sugar levels
• Spinach – Potassium & folic acid found in Spinach can help lower blood pressure and according to recent research one serving a day of nutrient packed leafy greens can reduce your risk of heart disease by 11%
• Nuts – A recent epidemiological study revealed that nuts offer many benefits for health – even reducing risk of serious chronic diseases. Nuts can impact heart health in numerous ways. For instance many (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, almonds, cashews and peanuts) contain the amino acid L-arginine which offers multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease, or those at high risk. L-arginine is a key nutrient in promoting efficient blood flow and overall cardiovascular function. We cannot make enough of this amino acid in the body so we need to obtain it from our food. And contrary to popular belief – nuts will not make you fat. In fact, a study in the journal ‘obesity’ found that eating nuts two or more times a week was associated with reduced risk of weight gain. Be aware of quality though go for organic and raw where possible.
• BeetrootJuice– this bright red juice contains a naturally occurring chemical called nitrate which has been shown to dramatically reduce blood pressure, cutting risk of heart disease and strokes. Researchers at the William Harvey Research Institute at Queen Mary Institute in London compared patients given a 250ml glass of beetroot juice a day with those who took nitrate tablets. The researchers concluded that the two methods were equally successful in reducing blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension affects 16 million Britons (1 in 5) and is a major risk factor for heart disease.
• PlantSterols – plant sterols may be effective in lowering LDL Cholesterol levels by hindering its absorption in the body. Beans & legumes such as lentils, Brown Rice and rice bran, nuts & seeds, especially flax and chia seeds, fruit & vegetables are amongst the best examples of natural plant sterols. They can also be found in supplement form.
• Garlic – a herb which has been traditionally shown to have blood thinning and cholesterol lowering properties, however it is important to note that if on existing blood thinning medication you should always speak to your doctor first – as garlic can exert similar effects to that of blood thinning medication.

A healthy diet is just one of the key areas where you can make changes to help prevent or delay the onset of cardiovascular disease. You can also make progress by ensuring you are smoke free, reduce alcohol intake, engage in regular physical activity, keep your blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels in check, maintain a healthy body mass index and adopt strategies to keep stress levels to a minimum.

For more information, please contact Bare Health, your local Independent Health Store on 01260 408413.

www.barehealth.co.uk

Always seek the advice of your GP or health care professional if taking prescribed medication or have an existing medical condition.