Top 5 Heart Healthy Foods
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide1, and in the U.S. takes the life of approximately one woman every minute2.
These statistics may seem discouraging, but the good news is we can change them by exercising regularly and eating heart-healthy foods. Curious about what foods are the best parts of a heart healthy diet plan? At Curves, we are all about women and sisterhood, so what we should eat as part of a healthy diet plan are always top of mind. Coupled with a full body workout plan, a heart-healthy diet can help you look and better and reduce your risk of heart disease3 at the same time.
Here are some of our top picks.
Fish
Choose fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and lake trout. Omega-3s4 help decrease triglycerides (fat) in your blood, reduce the stickiness of blood platelets and the risk of blood clots, prevent plaque from forming on artery walls, and lower blood pressure.
Eat well:
- Aim for two 3- to 4-oz servings a week.
- Don’t stop at salmon – eat a variety.
- Skip the fryer. Broil, bake, grill, braise, or steam fish, or add it to soups or stews.
Greens
Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and mustard and collard greens are mighty indeed, packed with healthy-heart nutrients5 including iron, vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, and folate along with fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. Greens6 also have a high water content, so they will help keep you hydrated and energized as you go through the Curves Circuit.
Eat well:
- Low in calories and loaded with nutrients, greens are a wonderful part of a weight loss eating plan. Eat them every day.
- Toss together a big salad of mixed greens with a little bit of low-fat, low-calorie dressing, but keep in mind that you can throw greens into almost any dish: omelets, soups and stews, sandwiches, pasta, meatloaf.
- Make kale chips: remove the stems and tear the leaves into bite-size pieces, sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt, mix, spread on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees until crispy, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nuts
Researchers examining data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Adventist Health Study7, which, combined, included the diets of more than 110,000 men and women, found a link between eating 5 ounces or more of nuts a week and a 35 to 50 percent drop in risk of coronary heart disease and death from heart disease. Nuts contain mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which may help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and they are also a good source of fiber and nutrients as part of a heart-healthy diet plan. Plus, nuts8 give your body energy to get through your full body workout at Curves.
Eat well:
- Eat unsalted almonds, walnuts (rich in heart-healthy omega-3s), hazelnuts, pistachios, and peanuts.
- If you are following a weight loss eating plan, remember that nuts are packed with calories. Here’s what 1 ounce looks like 24 almonds (164 calories), 12 hazelnuts (178 calories), 14 walnut halves (185), 35 peanuts (161)
- Enjoy nuts plain as a snack, chopped in cereal or oatmeal, or tossed into a salad.
Legumes
Beans are good for your heart, as are peas, lentils, and other legumes. Legumes9 are high in plant protein, and rich in heart-healthy nutrients, including zinc, B vitamins, and iron, and they are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.
Eat well:
- Try to include 3 to 4 cups of legumes a week in your healthy diet plan.
- There are a bazillion ways to enjoy legumes—in side dishes, soups, stews, salads, and many Mexican meals.
Ancient Grains
Oats, quinoa, barley, millet, spelt, buckwheat, amaranth, and rye all pack a nutritional punch10. They deliver protein, fiber, magnesium, iron, manganese, vitamins B6 and B12, copper, phosphorus, tryptophan, and the list goes on.
Eat well:
- Cook with fresh whole grains that retain all those good-for-your heart nutrients.
- Enjoy 4 cups of oatmeal (not instant) a week. You can change it up by adding fruit, nuts, or yogurt.
- Be creative. Ancient grains make great sides but they’re also terrific as the base for a salad, in soups and stews, and as warm breakfast cereals.
To help fight back against the statistics, simply commit to your Curves workout 3 or 4 days a week, and pick up your fork and dig into these heart-protective foods every day. A bonus: these foods are also good choices as part of a weight loss eating plan. As you can see, there’s a wealth of delicious options to help you stay in good health and stay on track with your Curves workout plan.
4 National Institutes of Health
8 British Journal of Nutrition
9 The National Centre for Biotechnology
10 Healthline
