Indulge in a heart-friendly diet...

Include these seven foods in your diet for a healthy heart

Eating for a healthy heart is almost synonymous with filling your plate with heart-healthy foods, eating healthy fats, and limiting the intake of unhealthy fats. Here’s a list of seven food items you should be eating for a healthy heart:

• Whole grains: Eating whole grains protects you from various cardiovascular diseases as they are high in antioxidants and phytosterols that help protect you against coronary diseases.

• Fatty fish: Oily fishes like salmon and tuna are high in omega-3 fatty acids which lower the levels of triglycerides that may contribute to blood clotting. Their regular consumption also helps reduce heart failure risks.

• Beans: Eating beans has been associated with a lesser risk of diabetes. Since diabetes is a known cause of various cardiovascular diseases, a diet rich in beans helps maintain a proper heart function.

• Nuts: Nuts are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Various researches suggest that having nuts like walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts two to three times per week can help lower the risk of heart diseases.

• Canola oil: Canola oil contains the lowest saturated fat quantity in comparison with all other vegetable oils used for cooking. It is also high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which lower unhealthy cholesterol.

• Bananas: A single banana has about 440 mg of potassium. It helps in maintaining a healthy heart function and balances the sodium and water ratio in the body, which further helps kidneys excrete sodium, thereby contributing to healthy blood pressure.

• Berries: Regular consumption of berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries is associated with increased levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure.

(The author is the director of Jivo Wellness)