Power Foods To Prevent Heart Disease

Posted 19 August, 2008 in Diet Fitness

In the past, mothers used to hold their children down while shoving a spoonful of cod liver oil down the hatch. “You are not leaving this table until every last vegetable is off that plate,” you may recall. Liver was much more common back then and milk with breakfast was a given. Today, there are still many foods that health experts agree are essential to optimal body performance and a balanced diet. The big difference is that many of these rations actually taste great, or at the very least, come in supplement form!

For snackers, texture is a big thing. You love the crunch of a potato chip or the way a chocolate chip cookie just sort of melts in your mouth. The good news is that one of the power foods on our list has just the crunch you need to feel satisfied: almonds! Two ounces or 48 of these tasty nuts will give you 50% of your daily magnesium, which ensures heart health, as well as providing vitamin E, fiber and monosaturated fat, which is the good kind. One study last year found that participants who ate 2.5 ounces of almonds per day lowered their cholesterol significantly after just one month! Other studies suggest a link between almonds and reducing the risk of colon cancer.

For carnivores, a salmon, if cooked properly, can sometimes have that steak texture you crave in your dinner foods. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon make it one of the all-around best fish to eat. According to the Pharmacological Research journal, adding 200 mg of DHA daily, which is one of the fatty acids in salmon, will decrease your risk of heart attack by 50%. DHA also helps keep the brain and memory in its best shape, so you needn’t worry about Alzheimers or Dementia if you take this into consideration and adjust your diet appropriately.

Perhaps you find that warm foods and drinks make you feel naturally happier. Maybe you’re a reformed coffee junkie. Instead, why not try a cup of tea? Chai tea is a delicious blend of vanilla, cinnamon and comforting spices. Generally black and green teas are the most doctor-recommended for fighting breast, lung and digestive cancers and heart disease. Additionally, a hot cocoa can provide you with antioxidant flavonoids, which help with heart disease prevention and even cancer as well as reduce toxins in the blood and improve cholesterol ratios.

“More than anything else you do, the way you eat tells your body how healthy you want to be,” says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., a physician in Tucson, Ariz., and author of Food As Medicine. Today, it’s easier to eat healthy foods, with public attention shifting towards more diet-conscious meals, restaurants using less cream and fatty butter and websites like sparkspeople.com acting as a personal diet coach. You may have to say goodbye to a few of your favorite victuals, but once you realize what you liked most about that food, be it the texture, salt, sugar or a certain soothing quality, you will be able to find an adequate replacement.

Although power foods will help with cholesterol levels it is important to keep an eye on your overall food consumption. Try one of the top 10 diets and try to stick to it.

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