7 Diet Changes to Care for Your Heart

  • Our Blog

  • Diets

7 Diet Changes to Care for Your Heart

Heart-Healthy Diets and Habits You Must Follow

The heart is a very technical term, and its functioning is very complicated. It is a muscular organ that is responsible for the pumping of blood in living creatures. It also plays a vital role in various other essential functions in the body.

What exactly does a heart do?

Have you ever wondered how the nutrients are extracted from the food we consume and reach every part of the body? The answer is blood and its vascular system. Through veins and arteries, the transportation of nutrients occurs. It acts as a transporter to supply oxygen to the different body organs as well. Hence, humans need to keep their hearts healthy.

How can we lead a heart-healthy life?

Hitting gym, practicing Yoga, opting for a balanced diet, etc.; there are multiple ways to keep our heart fit so that it can function correctly. Jogging is one of the best ways to ensure the proper functioning of the heart. Jogging every day can reduce the risk of heart diseases by 30-40 percent. Getting involved in physical activities like the full-body workout is also an excellent way to look after your heart. Combo of a healthy diet and regular exercise is a pathway that can eliminate the chances of many heart-related disorders. Our experts emphasize picking a suitable diet for the body that can keep you healthy without compromising the taste. The classic wellness meal plan is a specially customized plan for those who want to get into shape while satisfying their taste buds.

When we want to express our love to someone special, we often end up saying, “you live in my heart”. People often say, “don’t lose your heart”. These statements are enough to prove the significance of a heart for the body.

Mentioned below are the seven most effective foods people can consume to keep their hearts healthy and free from diseases.

1. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are nutritious and consist of vitamins and minerals. One of the most crucial vitamins present in green leafy vegetables is Vitamin B, called folate. Studies have shown that a deficit of folate can increase the chances of heart diseases. As a result of this, eating green leafy vegetables can maintain healthy folate levels and can decrease the chances of stroke up to 20%. Vitamin K present in these vegetables helps to protect the arteries. These vegetables also decrease blood clotting. As per the studies, vegetarians have lesser chances to get affected by cardiovascular diseases. That’s why the master chefs at VMeals offer you a tailored green vegetarian diet plan exclusively for vegetarians.

2. Whole grains

Whole grains are unprocessed grains that are an excellent source of dietary fiber compared to their processed counterparts. They have several health benefits, from being a high source of plant-based protein to containing a high amount of nutrients that keep your heart healthy. These grains make your body strong from the outside by helping you gain muscle and the inside by keeping your heart fit. The Muscle gain plan designed by VMeals experts comprises whole grains like oats, barley, and quinoa. These grains are low in fiber and may reduce bad LDL cholesterol and thereby reducing the risk of heart-related ailments

3. Avocados

Avocados are enriched with vitamins, minerals and are an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated fats. Increased magnitude of cholesterol can obstruct the arteries, which in turn can increase the chances of a stroke. Presence of monounsaturated fats in avocados assists in maintaining a healthy heart and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

4. Omega 3

Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that have numerous positive health effects. These acids are highly beneficial for cardiovascular health due to the potential to neutralize the fat, called triglycerides. Triglyceride is a sort of fat present in your blood that can lead to a heart attack if it exists at a high level. Omega 3 helps reduce triglycerides, therefore, improving the condition of your heart, blood vessels, and arteries. Some healthy food items rich in Omega 3 include nuts and seeds such as flax and chia seeds, plant oils such as canola and soya bean oil, etc.

5. Fish

Eating fish can lower the risk of high blood pressure and other heart-related concerns like blood clotting, irregular heartbeats, and cardiac arrest. Fish are a good source of omega 3 and other unsaturated fats. As per a study, eating salmon two to three times a week for eight weeks can decrease diastolic blood pressure. Some of the fish boosted with unsaturated fat are sardines, Atlantic mackerel, herring, and cod. Some people avoid non-veg; however, they like to consume fish owing to the benefits. For such people, we offer the pescatarian diet, consisting of the goodness of fish.

6. Walnuts

Walnuts are a fantastic plant-based Omega 3 fatty acid source and are high in fiber and micronutrients like magnesium, copper, and manganese. These can reduce bad cholesterol by 16 percent. Along with maintaining healthy levels of cholesterol, it also decreases the chances of high blood pressure.

7. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is enriched with antioxidants like flavonoids. These elements not only produce happy hormones, but they can also help in boosting the heart functioning of the individual. According to a study, those who ate dark chocolate for 5 days per week had a 57 percent lower chance of coronary heart disease. Next time whenever you feel blue, grab a bar of dark chocolate.

Now we know which foods can provide happiness to our hearts.

Below mentioned are five ways which can further improve the health of our heart, apart from good food habits:

1. Quit smoking

People who smoke have higher odds of suffering and dying from heart disease and having a stroke than those who do not smoke. Smoking damages your arteries from inside by building plaque in them over time, narrowing them down, and reducing oxygen levels in your blood, which can cause cardiac arrest.

2. Do more exercise/cardio

Your heart has a thick muscular layer. Like your skeletal muscles, your cardiac muscle needs to be strong too to perform its function and efficiently pump blood to your entire body. Cardio exercises can work wonders to provide muscular strength.

3. Don’t stress yourself

Stressing out affects you mentally. It affects your entire body and heart as well. When you are under stress, you tend to drink or smoke and do not have proper meals, because of which you obviously won’t have the energy to work out, and all of these factors can immensely affect your cardiac health. So, try to relax in order to have a healthy heart and mind.

4. Maintain a healthy weight

Being overweight can increase your chances of high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Stay physically active, work out and try to eat less sugary substances and saturated fat to control your cholesterol levels and maintain a healthy weight.

5. Have a good night's sleep

Lack of sleep can seriously affect your cardiac health as it contributes to high blood pressure and making you overweight by creating a hormone imbalance in your body.

CVDs are the topmost reason for mortality worldwide except in Africa. In the end, we can say that we all have got one life. Please do not waste it with bad eating habits and a poor lifestyle. The heart is a prime organ that also needs love. VMeals understands its value and supports you in pampering it by providing you the best possible diet plans. Stay healthy, stay happy.

Categories

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

  • © All Rights Reserved - 2023