Happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s talk about protecting your hearts….

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!

I thought that in honor of ♥ day, we should talk about foods that are good for heart health.  Along with proper nutrition, you should quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight and get some type of cardiovascular exercise at least 30 minutes a day (according to the American Heart Association).  But since my focus is on nutrition…let’s talk about how food can protect our hearts.

• Nuts, like macadamia, almonds, walnuts and cashews are full of monounsaturated fats that help prevent heart disease. Watch your portions, though, as they are high in calories.

• Fresh garlic (not garlic powder) has been shown to lower cholesterol, which helps your heart as well.

• Oatmeal (preferably steel cut oats) is great for lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol and are packed with omega-3 fatty acids.

• Avocados are filled with monounsaturated fats (aka heart healthy fats) and not only lower the LDL cholesterol, but also raise the HDL (good) cholesterol (Wooohooo!)

• Berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries) are loaded with anti-inflammatories which help lower your risk for heart disease and cancer.

• Beans and legumes are also packed with soluble fiber which helps lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.  As an added bonus, they also have heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids 🙂

• And lastly, (my favorite)…..green tea! Green tea is packed with antioxidants and has been shown to lower cholesterol too. If you can’t give up your morning cup of joe, why not add a cup of green tea in the afternoon (when you hit that mid day slump!)

Happy Valentine’s Day!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Lauren 🙂