Best Ten Foods For Your Healthy Heart

Best Ten Foods For Your   Healthy Heart


First One Dark Chocolate

Health Benefits:
When dark chocolate is included in a healthy diet, it can help improve overall heart health, reduce LDL ( "bad") cholesterol and blood pressure, and increase blood flow to the brain. It also may improve blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, which could reduce diabetes risk. The power of chocolate comes from flavonoids, a phytochemical found in the cacao bean, from which cocoa is taken. So the more cocoa a chocolate contains, the richer the chocolate's health-promoting content. Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa than white or milk chocolate.
Portion Control:
Even though dark chocolate has good-for-you flavonoids, it also has not-so-good-for-you sugar, calories, and fat. Overindulging can undo any of the previously mentioned health benefits. One ounce (roughly six Hershey's Kisses) is all you need to enjoy the benefits of dark chocolate without widening the waistline.

What is the LDL Cholesterol

Cholesterol isn't all bad. It’s an essential fat that provides support in the membranes of our bodies' cells. Some cholesterol comes from diet and some is made by the liver. Cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, so transport proteins carry it where it needs to go. These carriers are called lipoproteins, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is one member of the lipoprotein family.
Acting like a microscopic bus fleet, lipoproteins pick up and carry loads of cholesterol through the blood. Each form of lipoprotein has different preferences for cholesterol, and behaves differently with the cholesterol it carries.
An LDL particle is a microscopic blob consisting of an outer rim of lipoprotein surrounding a cholesterol center. LDL is called low-density lipoprotein because LDL particles tend to be less dense than other kinds of cholesterol particles.






Olive Oil               

Health Benefits:
Olive oil's high level of monounsaturated fat may help lower blood cholesterol, and its antioxidants may help protect against some cancers and other chronic health conditions, as well as boost HDL ("good") cholesterol.
Portion Control:
Although olive oil has great benefits, it also has a lot of calories. It's 100 percent fat, and like all liquid oils, contains about 120 calories per tablespoon. So ration your intake to just 2 tablespoons of olive oil each day.




 Avocado                                    


Health Benefits:
The fact that avocados contain a good dose of heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats makes them unique among fruits. Avocados also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that may help lower cholesterol.
Avocados are a good source of potassium. An adequate intake of potassium can help ward off high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. This fruit also is a good way to incorporate lutein, which helps eyesight and protects against breast cancer, in your diet.
Preparation:
Slice avocados just before using them so they won't discolor. If you need to cut them a bit a head of time, sprinkle the cut surfaces with lemon or lime juice. To slice them, first cut lengthwise around the seed. Twist the two halves apart in different directions, scoop out the pit with a spoon, and separate the flesh from the skin. Try 2 tablespoons mashed avocado or two to three thin slices instead of cream cheese or peanut butter on your favorite sandwich.

Salmon                                                                                 


Health Benefits:

Salmon is a premiere source of omega-3 fatty acids. The body can't produce these healthy fats, so it's essential to include them in your diet. Thanks to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), one type of omega-3s found in heart-healthy fish, eating fish may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, minimize symptoms of arthritis and inflammatory diseases, contribute to healthy skin and hair, and help with depression. If salmon doesn't suit you, get your omega-3s from fish oil, almonds, walnuts, or flaxseed.
Preparation:
Broiling and baking are the healthiest ways to prepare salmon. Grilling and microwaving also are healthful. Just don't fry it--frying strips away all of the nutrients this deliciously rich fish provides.



Tea                                                       


Health Benefits:
Tea, whether hot, cold, or infused into foods, has the power to keep hearts healthy. Studies have shown that regular tea consumption has a long list of benefits. It helps prevent cancer and heart disease; it may reduce the risk of stroke, obesity, arthritis, and diabetes; and has antioxidants that protect the body from the effects of aging. It may also protect against tooth decay and osteoporosis.
Preparation:
We all know you can drink tea, but you also can cook with it.
. Infuse rice by cooking it in brewed Sencha or Jasmine tea instead of water.
. Marinate poultry and tofu in brewed teas. For a floral flavor, try Earl Grey. For smoky taste, use Lapsang Souchong. For currantlike sweetness, consider Rooibos.
. Grind oolong tea and white peppercorns together in a spice mill, then rub the ground mixture over meat, poultry, or fish before grilling or roasting.






Oat                                                                                    

Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich super  food can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Opt for coarse or steel-cut oats over instant varieties—which contain more fiber—and top your bowl off with a banana for another 4 grams of fiber.








Beetroots                                                  

If you want the health benefits of beets but do not like the flavor, you may want to, upon attaining permission from your health care provider, add a beetroot supplement to your diet. Consumption of the vitamins in beetroot can give your body a boost of antioxidants, the compound betalaine in particular. Betalaines are antioxidants that occur primarily in beetroot. A study performed at the Department of Microbial Biosynthesis and Biotechnologies at The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology in Bulgaria revealed that betalaines possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and anti-cancer properties. Consumption of beetroot vitamins can promote some other beneficial health effects.

High Blood Pressure

Recent research has shown the regular consumption of beetroot can dramatically reduce high blood pressure. A study described in a June 30, 2010 post on "Science Daily" revealed that consumption of beetroot can dramatically reduce high blood pressure and increase blood circulation. The study also showed that beetroot consumption promotes the production of gaseous nitric oxide in the body, which is the catalyst for this benefits. The blood pressure lowering properties of beetroot also makes this product beneficial in reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Garlic                                                          


Did you know that garlic is one of the most ancient medicinal foods in the world? In the ancient world, garlic was fed to soldiers and slaves to keep them in good health. Today it is available in all kinds of tasty dishes, but the best way to get the maximum benefits of garlic is eat it raw and crushed. Like most vegetables, its potency is harmed when cooked.
The key compound in garlic is an amino acid called allicin. When raw garlic is crushed or chopped, alliin reacts with the enzyme allinase. Garlic was designed so that the alliin and the allinase were in different parts of the garlic plant. They are meant to react and protect the garlic plant when it was crushed. Together the action of the enzyme allinase with the amino acid, alliin produces allicin. Allicin is what is responsible for the amazing health benefits of raw garlic. If you were to eat raw garlic whole without crushing it, you would miss the good benefits of it! So always crush the garlic or chop it fine to get the benefits. It is best to use garlic as fresh as possible as allicin starts to diminish quickly after its produced.
Did you know that garlic lowers cholesterol? The Journal of the Royal College of Physicians, supplements of garlic were given for 4 weeks and they were shown to lower total serum cholesterol levels by 12 percent. Plus the garlic raised the HDL cholesterol, the good, protective cholesterol, by 4 to 15 percent. It also lowers triglyceride levels by up to 17 percent.
Raw garlic can also reduce plaque. The allicin helps to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together.
Garlic is also a good preventative for the common cold. Raw garlic exerts antimicrobial activity against viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. Its good for lungs, for treating asthma, bronchitis, inflammation, rashes, bug bites. tooth aches, ear infection and other infections including Staph and MRSA. Unlike antibiotics that actually weaken your immune system, garlic actually boosts your immune system.
In 2008, Dr. Ron Cutler and the University of East London released the results from a human clinical study performed on 52 patients with hospital acquired MRSA. All 52 patients were treated with a form of stabilized allicin and recovered fully from their MRSA infections. Many of the wounds healed in just 4 to 12 weeks and many of the patients had previously been treated with multiple antibiotics with no improvement.
EPIC, The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition conducted a study with women and men from 10 different countries. Results showed that higher consumption of garlic and onion were associated with a reduced risk of intestinal cancer.
The Iowa Women’s Study reported results from their study “women who consumed the highest amounts of garlic had a 50 percent lower risk of cancer of the distal colon compared with women who had the lowest level of garlic consumption.”
Studies in China, found that frequent consumption of garlic, onions and chives was associated with reduced risk of esophageal and stomach and prostate cancer.
A study conducted in the San Francisco Bay area found that pancreatic cancer risk was 54 percent lower in people who ate larger amounts of garlic compared with those who ate lower amounts.
In France, a study found that increased garlic consumption was associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk. After considering total calorie intake and other established risk factors, breast cancer risk was reduced in those consuming greater amounts of fiber, garlic, and onions.
Several population studies show an association between increased intake of garlic and reduced risk of certain cancers, including cancers of the stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, and breast cancer.
Convinced that you should never pass on the garlic? I am. I think we should eat garlic as often as possible, who cares if we stink! We will be boosting our immune systems and reaping all kinds of wonderful health benefits. So eat garlic often

 Berries                                

 They’re loaded with fiber, which helps you feel full (and eat less). And they top the charts in antioxidant power, protecting your body against inflammation and free radicals, molecules that can damage cells and organs. A recent study even showed that one-half to one cup of mixed berries a day improved cognition and motor performance in animals. James Joseph, PhD, director of the Neuroscience Lab at the United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, which conducted the study, notes that we become more susceptible to the damaging effects of free radicals and inflammation as we age. Berries help prevent those effects by turning off the inflammation signals triggered by cytokines and COX-2s, he says, making them an ideal part of your diet.




Walnut                                               

Walnuts are revered since ancient times as a symbol of intellectuality, since their kernels have convoluted surface inside the shell resembling as that of brain! The nuts are enriched with many health-benefiting nutrients, especially Ω-3 fatty acids that are essential for optimum health.
The nuts are edible kernels of the fruits from tree belonging to Juglandaceae family, in the genus: Juglan. Juglan species plants are medium sized, semi-tropical, deciduous trees believed to be originating in the mountain ranges of Central Asian or southern Europe region.


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