Heart Healthy Foods For Your Cardiovascular System

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy heart diet. These heart healthy foods have a powerful dose of phyto-nutrients to prevent and repair damage to cells. Eating these foods every day helps to prevent heart disease and leads to better overall health.

Some foods are proven to reduce the level of free radicals in the blood, thus reducing common diseases of the heart and circulatory system. Other foods are beneficial for totally different reasons. Generally, raw or minimally processed foods are better than highly process foods. Choose whole grains, legumes, beans and nuts. These foods provide complex phyto-nutrients to protect your heart. Rather than eating just one type of food, you should eat a wide variety of healthful foods.

You can follow many different healthful diets that will be good for your heart. Any diet that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood will be beneficial. Follow the directions of the food pyramid and limit your fat intake. Keep the total fat intake at no more than 30 percent of calories and saturated fat should be 10 percent of calories.

Specifically, oatmeal has been shown to lower cholesterol. Salmon, almonds flax seed, tofu, kidney beans, carrots, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, red bell pepper, tomatoes, blueberries, oranges, asparagus, cantaloupe, papaya, red wine, dark chocolate, tea, soy milk and brown rice are the winners for the most healthy foods for your heart and circulatory system.

Common nutrients that are found in these heart healthy foods include Omega-3 to boost the immune system, resist blood clot formation, increase beneficial HDL, and lower triglycerides and blood pressure. In addition to the full range of vitamins and minerals in the above foods, you get fiber, lutein, phytosterols, good fats, phytoestrogens, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, reservatrol, catechins, cocoa phenols, and flavenols.

Eat the foods that are good for your heart in the correct amounts and your overall health is sure to improve. An active lifestyle with appropriate exercise is better than a sedentary life. The optimum weight level for your height and frame can be found in many books, magazines and online sources.

Heart healthy foods are effective individually, but they are even more effective when you choose from a variety of foods on the above list. Add to the effectiveness of the foods you eat by exercising and drinking plenty of water. Adherence to the healthy food list, will gradually bring your weight down to your optimum level. This will help you have a healthy heart as well.