9 Heart Healthy Foods you should Incorporate into your Diet

9 Heart Healthy Foods you should Incorporate into your Diet

When Rosie O’Donnell dislosed she had suffered a heart attack, the actress and host was as shocked as anyone else because her symptoms weren’t what she associated with a major coronary event. She luckily took some aspirin and then consulted her doctors the next day.

O’Donnell, 50, had the classic female subtler signs of a cardiac arrest. She said on her blog Monday that hours after helping an “enormous” woman get out of a car near O’Donnell’s home in Nyack, N.Y., she experienced aches and pains in her arms and chest. She also became nauseous and felt clammy.

This is the classic array of symptoms for women and should be noted.

Recalling a Bayer aspirin commercial Rosie had seen, the former talk show host took an aspirin, which experts advise for people who suspect they’re having a heart attack. She should have called 911 too. The longer the heart goes without oxygen, the more damage occurs to the heart muscle.

Heart attacks occur when blood flow delivering oxygen to the heart muscle is severely decreased or blocked completely because of a buildup of fat, cholesterol and plaque in the arteries. In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds, according to the American Heart Association.

Many women frequently dismiss common symptoms of heart attack — such as breathlessness and nausea — which often times are vague and confusing. Women often get that cold, clammy feeling and nausea, where men get more direct pain to the chest.

If reports that O’Donnell had 99 percent blockage of her coronary artery. Lifestyle is to blame for this happening, and SignatureMD concierge doctors would urge everyone to decrease or eliminate animal products from their diet to prevent this from happening.

The American Heart Association lists the following heart attack signs for women:

  • Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or comes and goes.
  • Discomfort or pain in either or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Nausea, breaking out in a cold sweat, or lightheadedness.

SignatureMD doctors compiled a list of heart friendly foods that are anti inflammatory and beneficial to your cardiovascular system. Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping risk factors such as high cholesterol levels under control are also key ways to reduce your risk of heart disease.

SignatureMD’s Nifty Nine Heart Health List:

Avocados

Forego a whopping dollop of mayonnaise on your sandwich, try using thin slices of avocado.  A 1996 study done by researchers in Mexico found that people who ate avocado every day for one week experienced an average 17 percent drop in total blood cholesterol. What’s more, their levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol decreased and HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased.

Whole Grains

The soluble fiber found in whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal binds the cholesterol in your meal and drags it out of your body, When your body needs to utilize cholesterol in the future, it draws on your blood cholesterol supply, effectively lowering your total blood cholesterol level and your risk for heart disease..

Olive Oil

A 2011 study found that people ages 65 or older who regularly used olive oil (for both cooking and as a dressing) were 41 percent less likely to have a stroke compared to those who never use olive oil in their diet. Use a little olive oil instead of butter or drizzle some over pasta, salad, or veggies to take advantage of its high mono- and polyunsaturated fats, but sparingly as fat is fat!

Nuts

Grabbing a handful of nuts is a heart-healthy way to keep cravings at bay.  Almonds are very high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and fiber, while walnuts are a great plant-based source of an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid.” According to the American Heart Association, monounsaturated fats can help reduce levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Salmon (or Other Fatty Fish)

Salmon, mackerel, herring and tuna are chock full of omega-3 fatty acids. Eating fish twice a week can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by decreasing inflammation and lowering triglyceride levels, and it may even help boost your HDL levels.

Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the best, natural artery-clearing foods around. Asparagus works within the 100,000 miles of veins and arteries to release pressure, thereby allowing the body to accommodate for inflammation that has accumulated over the years.  It also helps ward off blood clots.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate contains phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to protect the lining of the arteries from damage. A 2005 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice stimulated the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps keep blood flowing and arteries open.

Broccoli

Broccoli is rich in fiber and vitamin K, which is needed for bone formation and helps to keep calcium from damaging the arteries.

Persimmons

Eating a daily persimmon is a better way to keep the doctor away. Research shows the persimmon polyphenols (which has twice as much fiber and more antioxidants than an apple) can help decrease levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Source(s)

I. American Heart Association

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