Your heart is one of the most important if not the most important organ in the body. When the heart stops, you stop. It supplies your body with life in the form of blood flowing throughout. If your heart is affected, weakened or impaired by dietary habits, lack of exercise or emotional trauma then your body suffers.
The heart pumps blood throughout the entire human body through the circulatory system. It is responsible for supplying the body with oxygen, the most vital life nutrient, as well as other nutrients. It is responsible for removing carbon dioxide and other waste. The heart is the pump that helps to move these things out while other organs such as the liver will process and filter for excretion from the body. If the heart is impaired or not working at optimal levels the ability to supply oxygen and nutrients to the organs and tissue begins to suffer as well, which means the entire body begins to suffer.
Heart disease is one of the top causes of deaths in the United States, coming in close to cancer. Heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular related events can actually be the number one cause of death if we really looked further into statistics. Chemotherapy kills cancer patients as well but these deaths are counted as deaths by cancer, so if we were to look into the deeper stats heart disease and heart related deaths would top the list.
Your heart is what pumps life into your entire body, if it’s not working properly then your life force energy begins to decline. When this declines, you begin to die at a faster rate. Long story short the healthier and stronger your heart is the more strength and stamina your body will have and you’ll live a longer more active and enjoyable life because of it.
There are specific foods and practices that engage the heart to stay healthy, active and continue to pump blood full of oxygen and nutrients to your entire body to use and benefit from. Without these specific foods and nutrients your heart has less fuel and source energy to draw from. The less fuel, the less energy, vitality, stamina and strength your heart will have to keep you alive. Your heart health and ability to prevent heart and cardiovascular related diseases directly ties into eating these foods and getting these nutrients in your diet, so pay attention!
4 Foods That Keep Your Heart Healthy And Strong
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes closely mimic the heart in their shape. They have 4-chambers just like the heart and are a rich source of lycopene, an antioxidant extremely beneficial for the heart. Lycopene reduces systolic blood pressure which makes it easier for your heart to function in a healthy manner. It also decreases C-Reactive protein which is a biomarker for inflammation and a indicator of cardiovascular related events. Lycopene changes two factors in your favor to keep your heart healthy and active. In one South Korean study a group of men were given 6 and 15 milligram doses of a lycopene supplement for 8 weeks.At the end of the study the men with the higher dose of lycopene had better SOD (superoxide dismutase) activity. This simply means that the body’s SOD enzyme was better able to utilize oxygen and hydrogen peroxide molecules as an antioxidant activity in the body. Additionally the high lycopene dose group had less DNA damage and better endothelial function, the function of the cells that line the blood vessels. In other words, the heart and blood were healthier and functioned more optimally with lycopene. Tomatoes are one of the best food sources of lycopene that you can eat. When you cook tomatoes your body is actually more able to readily absorb the lycopene as well, so raw is great but cooked tomatoes have their own unique set of benefits as well.
- Omega 3 Rich Foods Like: Chia seeds, flax seeds, and fish like salmon and trout. Omega 3 fatty acids are fats that help benefit cardiovascular and heart health. One study found that men who eat fish have lower levels of coronary artery disease as compared to men who do not. Omega 3 fats also help to reduce excessive inflammation in the body. It is also important to note that the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fats is very important to keep inflammation under control. While this ratio is debated right now the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 in America is around 16:1, whereas it should be more in the 4:1, or 2:1 ratio. Basically, the amount of omega 3 fats you eat should be similar to the amount of omega 6 fats you eat, not such a difference in values that there is now.
- Dark Chocolate: You didn’t think i’d leave this one out did you? Dark chocolate is rich in many minerals including it being one of the richest sources of magnesium of any food on the planet. Magnesium helps keep the heart healthy and regular. Not only that but chocolate has a rich array of minerals and flavanol and flavanoid antioxidants that benefit heart and cardiovascular health as well. Not only that but dark chocolate is a great way to boost mood and feel happier because it benefits brain chemistry. When you feel happier and lighter your heart tends to be healthier as well because the heart is closely tied with emotions. I like endangered species dark chocolate because it’s a great source of cacao with their bars containing 70% or even 80% or more cacao content. On top of that they give 10% of their profits to nature oriented causes.
- Red, Pink Yellow And Orange Whole Foods: Whole foods from the earth that are orange, red or yellow in color are beneficial for the heart as well. The red, yellow and orange foods contain carotenoids which… The red and pink foods may also contain lycopene (like we talked about in tomatoes above) which has another series of added benefits! A higher amount of carotenoids in your diet correlates directly with a lower rate of cardiovascular related diseases. Eat red, pink, yellow and orange foods that are organic! Think red peppers, apples, grapes, strawberries, grapefruit, yellow peppers, bananas, oranges etc.
Another great activity for heart regulation and health is simply walking. Long walks are great for the heart. High intensity workouts that cause you to lose breathe are great as well. Get out of breath, get your heart rate up, then walk! Up and down, up and down. These activities keep your heart strong and healthy. Walking is one of the best things you can do for a consistently healthy heart in terms of activity. Walking helps the heart normalize and harmonize with your body quite well.
Eating healthy and including these foods in your diet will support your heart nutritionally and keep it humming. A healthy heart means a more enjoyable and active life but also helps you live life more freely not having to worry about cardiovascular disease or frightening events. Take care of your heart!
Recommended Reading: These 4 Signs Happen Before A Deadly Heart Attack Occurs
Source: http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Study-unlocks-lycopene-s-heart-health-benefits, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/01/15-heart-healthy-foods-to-work-into-your-diet/
Image: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myocardial_infarction
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