The key is stepping up fiber and choosing unsaturated fats. Eating unsaturated fats, like omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil, can help to reduce triglycerides. And a diet rich in soluble fiber, which is often found in legumes and some fruits and vegetables, helps to decrease LDL cholesterol levels.
Many people think popping a multi-vitamin supplement to get their nutrients is just as good as what comes from real foods. They don't realize that it is far better to get vitamins and minerals from natural foods and juices. Our bodies utilize the vitamins and minerals from real foods more efficiently.
Many of the supplements available today use fillers and binders to hold them together, plus coatings on the tablets themselves. These are products the body does not need and will not use. Some people find they are allergic to the dyes and fillers used in vitamin pills. However, the body uses the fiber that binds fruits and vegetables
Sardines are an awesome source of omega-3 fatty acids, along with calcium and niacin. You can prepare fresh ones on the grill, or canned sardines work great in salads or sandwiches. Mackerel is another excellent source of omega-3s, and is full of selenium, which is an antioxidant mineral which may help protect the body from heart disease and cancer. A great way to get omega-3s on the go is by grabbing a handful of walnuts for an afternoon snack. Add some to your green salad, or give chicken salad a nutrition boost by adding ground walnuts.
Kidney beans are an affordable source of high fiber, are low fat, and have no cholesterol. Add them to salads and chili, as they truly are almost a perfect health food. Since canned varieties tend to be higher in sodium, try to use the dried varieties whenever possible.
Whole-grain barley is rich in soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, which is good for combating constipation. It's also a good protein source and has a good supply of iron and minerals. Choose whole-grain barley cereals, or substitute whole-grain barley for rice and pasta side dishes once a week.
Oatmeal is a great way to boost your fiber content early in the morning, and it also has a low glycemic index, which helps to provide lasting energy stave off hunger. Choose rolled oats, and add some raisins, apples, and honey for flavor. Instant oatmeal isn't a healthy option as it's usually loaded with sugar.
Recipes For Healthy Heart
One of the latest and most exciting developments in the treatment of heart disease, that has been taken up with alacrity by hospital heart centers and cardiac surgery facilities the world over, is Aged Garlic extract.
The results of the study on Aged Garlic were presented by Dr Harunobu Amagase, at the International Conference and Exhibition on Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. He explained that the extract acts on not only a single risk factor for heart disease, but several.
It lowers bad cholesterol, LDL, and increases the levels of good cholesterol, HDL. A hormone called homocysteine has also been implicated by hospital heart centers in an individual's risk of developing full blown heart disease, and the aged garlic extract was found to reduce a person's levels of this also.
Some of the corollary effects of the aged garlic extract that Dr Amagase mentioned included its ability to lower blood pressure, which can contribute to hypertension and the damage of heart tissues.It stimulates circulation, which is good for not only heart tissues, but in all body.
LDL oxidation is reduced by the garlic extract, which heart hospitals in Thailand and cardiac surgery centers the world over have long known is a major factor in the progression of heart disease to acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack.
The rate of coronary calcium formation is inhibited, and oxidative stress in the body can be reversed. The ability of the extract to reduce oxidative stress means that not only cardiac surgery centers, but general medical practitioners.
The study was a double blind one, and even normally cautious researchers are very positive about the study's results and implications for the treatment of various forms of heart disease.
Dr Amagase said this is tremendous news for people on statin therapy. These works clearly show that Aged Garlic Extract has positive influence on various risk factors of heart disease, as compared to placebo.
They suggest that Aged Garlic Extract may be a useful and beneficial dietary addition for people on statins, or for those who have high cardiovascular risk, have a family history related to heart disease, or have undergone heart surgery, and/or medicinal treatment".
The study by the hospital heart center was on patients whose average age was 60, and the aged garlic extract was accompanied in the pills by vitamin B12, folic acid, l-arginine, and vitamin B6.
It also seemed that the extract was just as effective in patients of either gender, who had varying blood pressure levels, different levels of blood cholesterol, and either were or were not taking diabetes medications. One of the senior researchers does note that the other vitamins contained in the aged garlic extract pill may have contributed to lowering the patients levels of homocysteine.
Hospital heart centers in Thailand have long been prescribing multivitamins to their heart patients, however the aged garlic is a relatively new therapy.
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