5 Simple and Delicious Heart Healthy Foods
It is always smart to pack a snack to keep yourself fueled and energized for your day but unfortunately, many snack foods tend to be high in sugar content or saturated fats. These ingredients not only cause you to feel sluggish but are hard on your stomach and heart! Luckily for you, we have comprised a list of healthy snacks that are not only delicious but heart healthy! Here are 5 simple and delicious heart healthy foods PLUS tips on how to easily add them to your diet.
Not only is dark chocolate a simple and delicious dessert, but it can actually help lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, and is an antioxidant.
Tip: Pick dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% to ensure lower sugar intake.Raspberries
Raspberries are full of antioxidants that clean up harmful free radicals in your body. They also have vitamin c and fiber which help also reduce the risk of strokes!
Tip: All berries contain antioxidants and are high in fiber so you may switch out raspberries for another type of berry and still get health benefits.
Dairy products contain a large amount of potassium and potassium can help lower blood pressure. Low-fat dairy options include almost no saturated fat which is the fat you want to avoid to maintain a healthy heart.
Tip: Throw berries onto a low-fat yogurt of your choice to get a quick breakfast or blend up berries with yogurt to get a delicious smoothie with double the heart health benefits!
The monounsaturated fats in avocados will help actually lower your bad cholesterol.
Tip: Use avocado as a spread on toast instead of butter!
This delicious fruit has resveratrol which prevents your blood platelets from becoming stuck to one another. This is the reason why red wine may have some heart benefits- as long as you consume the wine in moderation.
Tip: Freeze red grapes for a cold and easy snack on a hot day.
To learn more about heart healthy foods, contact Dr. Eshaghian at Beverly Hills Cardiology located in Beverly Hills