17 Heart-Healthy Recipes That Actually Taste Great (2024)
Approximately 71 million Americans (more than 20%) have high cholesterol. Your diet is very important if you're trying to lower yours. Follow these heart-healthy guidelines:
• Eat whole grains and beans. They're high in soluble fiber, which basically binds to the cholesterol you eat so that it passes out of your body instead of sticking around to clog up your arteries.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Some fruits and veggies contain lots of soluble fiber, while others contain more insoluble fiber (which is also good for you but doesn't affect cholesterol). Eat a variety of fruits and veggies so you get plenty of both kinds of fiber.
• Eat vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. The monounsaturated fats in these foods can lower your LDL cholesterol, aka bad cholesterol. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds are all good choices.
• Eat fatty fish, nuts, and avocado. "Omega-3 fatty acids may help raise HDL cholesterol, which is your good cholesterol," says Keri Gans, a New York-based registered dietitian and the author of The Small Change Diet. Salmon is great for Omega-3s, but so are lots of other fish like trout, mackerel, and sardines.
• Limit fatty animal products, such as whole milk, processed meats, and high-fat cuts of red meat. Saturated fat, present in all those foods, has long been considered a major threat to heart health because it can raise the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Recent research questions that wisdom, but Gans says she still follows American Heart Association guidelines. "I still advise my patients to limit saturated fats," she told BuzzFeed. Play it safe by keeping plenty of variety in your diet and not relying solely on animal-based foods for your protein.
2.Apple and Chicken Egg White Omelet
3.Curry Roasted Vegetable and Avocado Naan-Wich
4.Black Bean and Corn Burger
6.Thai Chicken Crunch Wraps
7.Farro Salad with Oven-Roasted Grapes and Autumn Greens
8.Honey Mustard Salmon with Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
9.Trout Salad with Citrus and Radishes
10.Lentil and Bulgur Soup
11.Almond-Crusted Chicken Strips
12.Roasted Vegetable Salad with Garlic Dressing + Toasted Pepitas
13.Curry Tofu Tacos with Pintos & Kale Slaw
14.Curried Quinoa with Spinach and Almonds
16.Italian Orzo Spinach Soup
17.Dark Chocolate Brown Rice Pudding
Focusing on specific foods to control your cholesterol is smart, but it's not everything. Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly are also important, Gans says. And everyone's different, so speak to your doctor about what's best for you.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , the following foods are the best for your heart: Vegetables: such as leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots. Fruits: such as apples, bananas, and oranges. Whole grains: such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas.
Plan meals around canned fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel), eggs, frozen prawns, frozen edamame beans, canned beans (four bean mix, baked beans, chilli beans), pre-made falafel and fresh, frozen or smoked fish as these foods don't take long to cook but pack in nutrition.
“In general, I recommend oatmeal as the best option.” He advises a small cup of oatmeal made with water, not milk or butter, and loaded high with berries, plus additional heart-healthy ingredients such as ground flax seed or a few walnuts.
Safety Concerns. For most people, there are no serious dangers involved in eating one meal a day, other than the discomforts of feeling hungry. That said, there are some risks for people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Eating one meal a day can increase your blood pressure and cholesterol.
As long as they're not deep-fried, potatoes can be good for your heart. They're rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, and they're high in fiber, which can lower the risk for heart disease. "They are definitely not a junk food or refined carbohydrate," said Graf.
The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in tuna fish may help to reduce the level of omega-6 fatty acids and LDL cholesterol that can accumulate inside the arteries of the heart. Studies have shown that eating more omega-3 is associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks.
Overall milk, yoghurt and cheese have a 'neutral' effect on your heart health, meaning these foods don't increase or decrease the risk of heart disease. The complexity stems from the fact that dairy foods contain saturated and ruminant trans fats, which can increase LDL cholesterol.
HOW EATING WHITE RICE CAN DAMAGE YOUR HEART. Cardiologists say that while sugar is considered the top enemy for your heart, people who overeat rice are at an equal risk of getting a heart disease. So, people who eat too many candies or too much rice should watch out their heart health.
Eating potassium-rich sweet potatoes helps promote a healthy heart. Higher potassium intake allows you to excrete more sodium lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk for heart disease according to the American Heart Association.
Eating certain foods may help prevent clogged arteries and lower your risk of heart disease. Some examples include berries, beans, tomatoes, fish, oats, and leafy greens. Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty deposits accumulate along artery walls.
Potassium can help regulate your heart rate and can reduce the effect that sodium has on your blood pressure. Foods like bananas, melons, oranges, apricots, avocados, dairy, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tuna, salmon, beans, nuts, and seeds have lots of potassium.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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