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    5 Foods to Prevent Heart Disease

    By Rebecca Scritchfield MA, RD, LD - DietsInReview.com

    In case you hadn't heard, February is American Heart Month, an initiative to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, the number one killer in the U.S.

    Eating a healthy diet can be a key method of preventing heart disease. We're highlighting five heart-healthy foods that can literally save your health. We recognize that these are not the only five foods that protect your heart, but they stand out as star performers and great additions to any diet.

    1. Garlic: This herb is ideal for heart health. Numerous studies have shown the potential benefits of regular garlic consumption on blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels - all of which keep your heart performing. Garlic also makes a great seasoning for food so you can greatly reduce salt.

    2. Salmon: Make the swap from a saturated fat burger to a salmon fillet. While some saturated fat is fine, a little goes a long way. The average cheeseburger has more than half a day worth of the artery clogging fat, which will increase your risk for a heart attack. Conversely, salmon lowers that risk thanks to heart healthy fats. Omega-3s can prevent erratic heart rhythms, reduce likelihood of blood clots inside arteries, improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, and prevent cholesterol from becoming damaged, at which point it clogs arteries.

    3. Berries and Cherries: Props must be given to nature's candy. These sweet treats are high in polyphenols, which prevent cell damage that creates unhealthy blood vessels and heart. During the winter, opt for frozen berries. Try thawing a bag of frozen strawberries in the refrigerator. Then, add unsweetened, steel-cut oatmeal with the berries their juice and your heart will say thanks with each beat.

    4. Quinoa: Often mistaken as a grain, this tiny sprouted seed is an excellent source of magnesium, the mineral that relaxes blood vessels. Low dietary levels of magnesium lead to some scary health issues like increased rates of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias. Quinoa cooks quickly and makes great leftovers. Toss with grilled veggies and roasted chicken for a delicious one-pot dinner, or try this Red Curry Quinoa recipe.

    5. Hot Cocoa: You read right! Hot cocoa is brimming with antioxidants - two-times more than red wine and three times more than green tea. The cool February temperatures are no match for a mug of hot cocoa. My tip: since hot chocolate mixes are full of sugar, use 100% cocoa and combine with a teaspoon of sugar. Plus you'll sweeten with the natural sugars in the milk.


    Also read the Top 5 Foods to Lower Cholesterol to manage your heart-healthy diet at DietsInReview.com.

    © DietsInReview.com

     

    170 comments

    • ROSEMARIE  •  1 year 3 months ago
      hello...nice information
    • Prateek  •  1 year 4 months ago
      Garlic is always been the best food to prevent any kind of disease.
      I was surprised to see HOT COCOA , but i guess explanation justifies it.

      http://www.totalhealthguide.net/
    • CaptainKodak  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Good advice to all. It almost came too late for me. I had to undergo quadruple bypass over three years ago. I was a month short of 45. Listen to what people are saying and more important listen to your own body! Do something before it's too late.
    • richierich  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Try this Omega-3 supplement to lower your cholesterol and keep a healthy heart.Copy this link to get more info.http://www.marketamerica.com/richierich/product-2247/heart-health-essential-omega_iii_fish_oil_with_vitamin_e.htm
    • Ib  •  2 years 3 months ago
      with all of this you should make sport
    • govardhan_102  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Iwas Drink Hot chocolate wen the raning segeain Ilove siting out side
      driking you wll feil good mode*** Have the cupa of hotchocolate you will geit feil*****
    • deltaelk  •  2 years 3 months ago
      got any french fried pataters in their? uuuuuuugggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!
    • SJ  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Plus have sex three times a day, that too will greatly enhance your blood pressure.
    • Bubster  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Re COCOA: You can buy FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC COCOA at Trader Joe's for not very much, as compared to other places that charge lots.
    • villaluna  •  2 years 3 months ago
      HI, I REALLY LIKED THE INFO THAT YOU POSTED RE FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THE HEART.CAN YOU PLEASE POST FOR ME WHAT QUINOA LOOKS LIKE?
    • Ranya  •  2 years 3 months ago
      i loved

      )
    • Rebecca  •  2 years 3 months ago
      A couple more comments...

      for the diabetic who doesn't eat fruit, not necessary to avoid fruit, the natural sugar, plus fiber, plus vitamins and cancer-fighting polyphenols make it a "yes" food. But you're right - moderation. A half cup of bluberries in your steel cut oats with some almonds is nutritious and doesn't have added sugars.

      For the person who said mixing cocoa with milk cuts out the health benefit, can you please share these published studies with us? Thanks...

      Also, Coke did not sponsor my article... I'm a dietitian who specializes in weight management. My mom is a diabetic and had quadruple bypass last year. This article represents my opinion of heart healthy foods I don't think people eat enough of. That's all.

      Quinoa - look for it in a bag near the rice or other grains (even though it is not a grain). It cooks in 25 minutes in water and is delicious. I like it cold with tart cherries and slivered almonds!
    • just me  •  2 years 3 months ago
      although the article contained some good advice and salmon is a good choice when it comes to fat, the idea that the bad fats clog your arteries is a myth, the damage to the arteries is from free radicals and how they effect the calcium transfer from inside to outside the cell, as the cell becomes engorged with calcium it dies and hardens. This build up happens not in the artery but between the layers of the artery, it happens with the heart muscle because of it constantly flexing, it will eventually rupture and in defense, the body send a blood clot and you have a heart attack. Salmon is a good choice because it contains omega 3, not because of fat clogging your artery
      Notice in the article where it talks about berries preventing cell damage.
    • alihedar  •  2 years 3 months ago
      I like these ,just hot black tea insted hot cocoa.
      Keep the suggestions coming!!!!
      ALI FROM IRAN
    • Elaine  •  2 years 3 months ago
      How can we trust advice given on heart health when it is sponsored by diet coke??? Diet Coke!!! Sponsoring a site on health. Gimme a break. Anything written here loses any value.
    • Some One USA  •  2 years 3 months ago
      KATE YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION to all who are struggling with the problems you mentioned, or perhaps just to everyone everywhere for we all have our various burdens. It is amazing the struggle you must have gone through and even more amazing that you made it. So far I am struggling only with borderline hypertension but I know if I do not take corrective measures I will get all the rest that comes with it.
    • arealpatriot  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Olive oil is what makes us young!
      Use Extra Virgin Olive oil to promote a young life!It is even better then fish oil because it is more easily to get and can be used in so much more recipes. Olive oil will keep you young.
    • WAN DILA KRUS  •  2 years 3 months ago
      i was also told about this cocoa by my pastor. he said it helps unclog arteries with this cholesterol and fats. we should have it everyday even just with 1 spoonful. live longer guys
    • Jason  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Great to hear about all these wonderful foods, but one word of caution. Make sure the salmon you are eating is wild-caught, not farm-raised. In his book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma", Michael Pollan raises an interesting point about farm-raised versus wild-caught. Mainly, farm-raised salmon does not contain the heart-healthy Omega 3's, but rather bad Omega 6's, found in many corn-fed feedlot animals, such as beef cattle. When cows and salmon are feeding on their natural diets, they both produce Omega 3's, with the salmon producing more. When force-fed corn, which is unnatural to both, they both produce the unwanted Omega 6's.

      Just passing it on.
    • Taisakugirl  •  2 years 3 months ago
      Omg, my family eats all of these foods! Well, excluding hot cocoa since there's too much sugar... but I was astounded to see the foods that we eat every week :)

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