Heart
Healthy Foods
Heart healthy foods are important in keeping cholesterol levels low and blood pressure under control as well as making sure you have a strong immunity system and regular digestion. These are all important to maintain a healthy heart. That is why finding an
d consuming heart healthy foods is important.
It is important that we all lay a good foundation for our health by consuming heart healthy foods with the greatest nutrient value.
Calcium
Calcium plays a vital role in lowering blood pressure, maintaining a regular heart beat and building strong bones. The bad news is that the majority of us aren’t getting enough calcium. Adults and pregnant woman need 1000 mg/day. Adults over 51 need 1200 mg/day and those under 19 need 1300 mg/day.
The best calcium sources are dairy products. While noteveryone is able to tolerate dairy products, there are also dark leafy greens, orange juice fortified with calcium, breads, waffles and soy. You should also make sure that you are getting enough Vitamin D as it is important for calcium abso
rption.
Fiber is important to digestion as well as helping combat disease. It may help lower the risk of cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. The fact is most of us are not eating enough foods with fiber. The vast majority of people are only getting half of what they should be getting. Eating more whole grain foods that are high in fiber such as breads, cereals, yogurts and soy milk will help. How much do you need? About 30 grams a day but make sure you are taking it in slowly through the day. Too much fiber all at once can cause gas, diarrhea and bloating.
Omega 3s Essential Fatty Acids
Omega -3fatty acid is an excellent for increasing good HDL and decreasing LDL. They might also help decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke. Foods like walnuts, flaxseed and salmon are excellent sources of Omega 3s. Milk, cereal, breads and soy milk are also excellent sources.
Plant Sterols and Stanols
These are found in small amounts in veggies, fruits, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts. It is not easy to get enough of these in our normal food intake. This is why you need foods such as margarine that contains plant sterols, fortified juices and granola bars. 
Probiotics
These are live microorganisms that are very similar to the ones that are currently living in your stomach. While the research is really only its early stages the results are promising. Theresearch shows that probiotics may aid in certain infections, bowel disorders and diarrhea.
One of the most well known foods for probiotics is yogurt, soy drinks and juices. There are few recommendations on daily consumption of probiotics because the research is still going on.
Vitamin D
This is one nutrient that no one gets enough of. Depending on where you live and the season, it can be difficult to make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D. This is because the best way for you to get vitamin D is to spend some time outside. You need at least 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine each day. There are also foods that are fortified with Vitamin D such as fruit juices, milk and yogurt.
Eating heart healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well as implementing an exercise program into your life is an excellent start to a healthy heart. Avoiding the “unhealthy” habits in your life such as fatty foods, smoking and too much alcohol needs to follow very close behind.
