The Top Vegan Foods for Great Heart Health!
If you are American, you are most likely aware that February is American Heart Month. There are many articles and reports that give you advice on how to have a healthy heart. It’s widely known that if you follow the tips listed below, you will reduce your risk of getting heart disease.
Get regular exercise
Drink plenty of water
Eat a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables
Minimize your stress
Limit the amount of alcohol and smoking abuse
And, the list goes on. But, what about heart healthy tips for vegans? There has been much debate that vegans don’t get as much vitamins and nutrients as meat-eaters do, however, most of those claims are not backed by scientific research. Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian, carnivore or omnivore, here are some tips to help you keep and maintain a healthy heart.
Fruits- While an apple a day, keeps the Doctor away, there are much more delicious and healthy fruits that can promote great heart health. The fruits that make the list are red grapes, raspberries, and avocados. Grapes are high in antioxidants that protect your cells from damage. One of the most noticeable antioxidants in grapes is Resveratrol. Resveratrol plays a crucial role in:
Lowering cholesterol
Preventing damage to blood vessels
Reducing the risk of blood clots
The darker the grapes, the more potent the antioxidants. Therefore, delicious red grapes are highly recommended as part of your heart healthy diet.
Raspberries- These vibrant and tasty berries contain disease fighting chemicals that prevent heart disease, obesity, diabetes and a myriad of other health issues. Adding raspberries to your diet, may help you lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve your overall heart health. Eat these alone, add to a salad, or mix in a smoothie. It doesn’t matter how you eat these delicious and nutritious berries, as long as you add them to your diet today!
Avacados- This creamy textured fruit contain both monounsatured and polyunsatured fats, which are essential for lowering (bad) cholesterol levels. So, if you eat an avocado a day, you can keep the cardiologist away!
Vegetables- It’s no secret that in order to maintain a healthy diet, you must incorporate vegetables in the mix. However, there are specific vegetables that promote great heart health and reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or other heart related issues. Some of these tasty vegetables that make the list include spinach, kale, Swiss chard, turnip greens, collard greens, and a wide variety of other leafy green and cruciferous vegetables. A study published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered that consuming a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables reduce the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. These vegetables also contain vitamins, nutrients, minerals, fiber, and in some vegetables, omega 3 fatty acids, which all contribute to a healthy functioning heart and body!
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Nuts- Whether it’s peanuts, walnuts, or cashew nuts, they all are healthy in contributing to your heart health. There are good fats and bad fats. Fortunately, most nuts contain the “good” types, which are monounsaturated and polysaturated fats. These types of fats lower blood cholesterol levels. Nuts also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which, are essential to protecting your arteries, preventing stroke, and reducing the risk of heart attacks.
While there are many other foods that contribute to great heart health, you can start adding these types of vegan friendly foods to your diet today.
When you eat a vegan or a plant based diet you reduce your risk of:
Stroke
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Heart attacks
High blood pressure
Certain types of cancer
Obesity
When it comes to protecting your heart and your overall health, I recommend you adopt a plant-based diet full of delicious and nutritious vegetables. Your heart will thank you! What vegan friendly foods do you like to eat to improve your health and overall well-being?
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