{"id":5415,"date":"2011-08-01T09:42:04","date_gmt":"2011-08-01T09:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/?p=5415"},"modified":"2014-10-26T22:27:58","modified_gmt":"2014-10-27T03:27:58","slug":"lengthen-your-life-with-6-heart-healthy-eats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzness.com\/blog\/lengthen-your-life-with-6-heart-healthy-eats\/","title":{"rendered":"Lengthen your Life with 6 Heart Healthy Eats"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Do you hear that sound?\u00a0 Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump, Ba-Dumb.\u00a0 It\u2019s one of the most important parts of your body.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking about your heart.\u00a0 The average heart beats about 100,000 times a day or over 2.5 billion times in a lifetime.\u00a0 It beats while you eat, sleep, run, read Fitzness articles, etc.\u00a0 With all of the work your heart does, isn\u2019t it about time that you showed your appreciation by helping it out?\u00a0 Add the six foods below to your diet to ensure your heart passes 2.5 billion beats.<\/p>\n

Protein:<\/em> Salmon <\/strong>would be our meat of choice when it comes to quality cardiovascular heath.\u00a0 Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, it can reduce blood pressure and the risk of blood clots.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: <\/em><\/strong>walnuts, tuna, mackerel, almonds, legumes (chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Grains:<\/em><\/strong> When looking for a \u201cheart\u201d-y healthy breakfast, look no further than oatmeal.<\/strong> \u2018This super food is high in many nutrients including omega-3\u2019s, magnesium, calcium and fiber.\u00a0 A key contributor in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and keeping arteries clear, be sure to eat as much of the delicious oats as you can. Warning! Avoid oatmeals with lots of added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, etc…<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: <\/em><\/strong>brown rice, flax seed, whole wheat or whole grain foods<\/em>
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Vegetables<\/strong>: <\/em>When trying to be heart health, you can never go wrong with pretty much anything green.<\/strong> Experts agree that everything from avocado to zucchini is a smart choice. Whether you\u2019re having a spinach salad with tomatoes or just some sweet potato chips<\/a> you should be good to go in the heart department.<\/p>\n

Fruit<\/strong>:<\/em> Just like vegetables, many fruits made the list of heart healthy options.\u00a0 That being said, one variety of fruit came out above the rest.\u00a0 Berries<\/strong> in their many shapes and forms seem to be the allies of cardiologists everywhere.\u00a0 Whether they be black-, blue-, ras-, straw- or cran-, they are each bursting with vitamin C, lutein and calcium.\u00a0 Berries act as anti-inflammatories which help protect against heart disease and cancers.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: <\/em><\/strong>oranges, cantaloupe, papaya, raisins, apples and bananas<\/em><\/p>\n

Beverages<\/strong>:<\/em> In a diet, “the best alcohol is no alcohol” as Jessa Hinton<\/a> said so eloquently in her interview.\u00a0 However, one of the best beverages out there is red wine<\/strong>.\u00a0 It has key ingredients that make it perfect for boosting good cholesterol (HDL).<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: <\/em><\/strong>soy milk, tea (green and black), water and whole fruit juices<\/em><\/p>\n

Other<\/strong>: <\/em>I added this category because this next food doesn\u2019t fit into any other categories and needed some recognition for all it does.\u00a0 Yes ladies and gentleman I\u2019m talking about olive oil<\/strong>.\u00a0 Filled with monounsaturated fats, olive oil provides your body with healthy fats and helps lower LDL. Warning! It’s packed with calories, so use it sparingly … or just eat a couple of olives!<\/p>\n

Honorable Mentions: <\/em><\/strong>dark chocolate, tofu and soy<\/em><\/p>\n

All in all, there are many foods out there that are good for your heart. \u00a0Squeeze in these choices as often you can.\u00a0 After all, just like a hard worker gets a bonus every once in a while, you’re heart needs rewards and encouragement too.\u00a0 Help keep it in tip top shape.<\/p>\n

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Information Collected From:<\/p>\n

PBS<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/nova\/heart\/heartfacts.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Health.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.health.com\/health\/gallery\/thumbnails\/0,,20307113,00.html<\/a><\/p>\n

WebMD<\/strong><\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.webmd.com\/food-recipes\/features\/25-top-heart-healthy-foods?page=2<\/a><\/p>\n

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