The Way to any Person’s, not just a man’s heart is Through their Stomach! Food plays an integral role in determining your wellbeing and the most important step you can take towards keeping your heart healthy is through your diet. Read on to know how you can protect your heart through your stomach and nourish it the right way:

 

A Wholesome Diet for Heart Health

 

  1. Watch your Salt Intake

When it comes to heart health, the prevailing dogma is that “less sodium is better”. On the contrary, too low sodium intake or a too high sodium intake can actually increase your risk for heart disease.

This is because sodium acts like a sponge in your body helping you to conserve and preserve water. If you eat too little sodium, it can lead to dehydration, muscle cramps, weakness, and cognitive decline. If you eat too much sodium, it can contribute to high blood pressure. Therefore, it’s important to take the middle route and consume sodium in moderation.

The best way you can do this is to consume Sodium in a balanced way. One of the important food where we get most of your sodium from is Salt. In order to consume Sodium in a balanced way, opt for natural whole salts like sea salt, pink Himalayan rock salt or Celtic salt and avoid the processed table salt variety. Natural sea salt contains a balance of vital minerals like Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and more along with Sodium while the table salt contains 50% sodium and 50% chloride.

 

  1. Add healthy doses of fiber

Fiber is the most important nutrient for heart and also has several other benefits. A study which assessed the data from 10 studies on the association between fiber intake and heart disease risks found that dietary fiber helped reduce the risk by improving blood lipid profiles, lowering BP, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation and helping maintain healthy body weight.

Moreover, fiber can be naturally found in vegetables, fruits, sprouted legumes, and whole grains, making it a potent source of antioxidants and phytochemicals.

 

  1. Favorable Fat for Heart

There is no need to banish fat from your diets. On the contrary, a low-fat diet is not going to make you any healthier, because your body needs healthy fats for optimal function of all organs. It is a major source of energy, helps you absorb vitamins and minerals and also makes up the exterior sheath of the cell membranes.

So, ensure to include healthy fats like monounsaturated fats such as avocado, olive oil, walnuts. Eliminate the trans fat content which tends to increase LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and in turn, leads to health hazards. Also, have saturated fats like coconut oil, ghee, organic dairy products in moderation.

Another potent fat for the heart is omega 3 fatty acid which helps to lower your risk of heart problems. Include flax seeds, chia seed, walnuts, fatty fish of sardine, salmon or mackerel to get more of them.

  1. Magnesium for Normal Heart Rhythms

A heart needs a good supply of this vital nutrient. In fact, magnesium is used in the treatment of heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. It has also been shown to alleviate blood pressure. Get your magnesium from natural sources of dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds. You can also consume Celtic Salt that has got magnesium along with the right balance of sodium.

 

  1. Lycopene and other Anti-oxidants

Tomatoes are a rich source of an antioxidant called lycopene that is well-established for its protective role in lowering blood pressure. It also helps to lower C-reactive protein, a marker of cardiac inflammation. To get the full benefits of lycopene, it’s best to cook tomatoes with olive oil or coconut oil. Other sources of lycopene include pink guavas, red carrot, apricot, watermelons

Other antioxidants are also necessary to remove the accumulated toxins in the body and prevent the onset of heart disease. Consume fruits like blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, grapes that contain carotenes, Vitamin C and resveratrol.

  1. When it Comes to Protein, Quality is more important than Quantity

Protein should not just come from animal sources as it can have an adverse effect on your heart. Therefore it’s important to pick a more plant-based protein and stick to fatty fish for your protein needs. It’s recommended to consume less red meat and opt for natural sources of proteins found in vegetables, nuts, legumes, organic dairy products, and fish.

 

  1. Reduce Carbs  and Sugars to Cut Heart Disease

Carbohydrates are abundant in our diets – white rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, cereal, sweets, chappatis and more. However, in order to protect your heart, it’s best to keep carbohydrate consumption to a minimal level. This is because all the carbs that you consume are converted to glucose and too much glucose in the body can damage your arterial walls, leading to inflammation.

So, it’s best to limit processed foods, added sugars, refined carbohydrates or simple carbohydrates and switch to whole grains like millets, brown rice, red rice, brown bread, etc.

 

One of the simplest ways to protect your heart is through your diet. A healthy diet not just reduces your risk for heart diseases, but also keeps you away from several other diseases. The target should be a well-balanced diet from natural sources, plant-based foods, seeds, nuts, healthy fats, plenty of vegetables and fruits.

 

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