If you think that avoiding unhealthy food will save you from heart disease, you’re only half-way there. Eating heart healthy food is a fundamental step in lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease and strengthening your heart health.
Here’s our list of 19 Super Heart Healthy Foods for Functional Nutrition. So the next time you go shopping, you can save room in your bag for these easy to incorporate foods!
Whole Grains
Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. It’s easy to incorporate whole grains into your diet by simply replacing refined grains. Maximize your health benefits by looking for high-fiber and gluten-free selections.
Salmon
Salmon contains tons of omega-3 fatty acids, which is shown to lower the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) and atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries) and decrease triglycerides.
Blueberries
Blueberries may help blood vessels to function better and remain healthier, meaning that the heart does not have to work as hard to circulate blood through the body.
Oats
Oatmeal s high in soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol. Our functional nutritionists suggest going for Gluten Free Oats.
Beans
Eating beans regularly is good for your heart, and you don’t need to eat a lot of them to benefit. According to suggestions found in studies published by The Journal of Nutrition, having just 1⁄2 cup of cooked pinto beans daily might lower cholesterol. (link to eating well) With a high fiber content, beans are lower cholesterol and triglyceride (blood fat) levels.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are high in heart-healthy potassium and a good source of the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may help get rid of “bad” cholesterol, keep blood vessels open, and lower heart attack risk.
Citrus Fruits
One of the reasons why people get heart disease is because their arteries are blocked due to unhealthy lifestyles and consumption of junk food. Oranges have flavonoids like hesperidin which reduces cholesterol and prevents your arteries from getting blocked.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate contains flavonoids called polyphenols. These may help blood pressure, clotting, and inflammation.
Other Berries
Berries contain numerous antioxidants that combat free radicals to maintain healthy blood vessels, blood pressure, cholesterol and heart tissue.
Nuts
Nuts are one of our favorite healthy fats. They contain vitamin E, which lowers bad cholesterol. And some nuts are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.
Pomegranate
Studies have shown that pomegranates, rich in antioxidants, may help to reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries and lower blood pressure.
Potatoes
Rich in potassium and high in fiber, potatoes can lower blood pressure and lower your risk for heart disease. Our Functional Nutrition doctors would suggest a balanced serving size, per meal of 1/2 of a medium potato.
Green Tea
Drinking green tea rapidly improves the health of the cells lining the blood vessels and helps lower one’s risk for heart disease.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds contain unique heart friendly properties, delivering heart-healthy alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) – omega-3 fatty acids – and soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol. They also contain lignan, a plant compound with antioxidant properties.
Avocado
Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy, while being low in fructose.
Super Greens – Brocoli, Kale, and Spinach
Green vegetables may give an extra boost to your heart. These are high in carotenoids, which act as antioxidants and free your body of potentially harmful compounds.
Apple
Researchers suggest that the strong antioxidant flavonoid compounds found in apples—quercetin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, kaempferol and other polysyllabic wonders—play a key role by preventing “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and triggering a series of events that result in the buildup of plaque in arteries, as well as inhibiting inflammation.
Banana
One banana has 422 mg—about 12 percent of your recommended daily dose—of potassium. The potassium in bananas helps maintain normal heart function and the balance of sodium and water in the body.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce both cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
For more great heart healthyrecipes, browse our blog & visit us on Pinterest! To learn more about our Functional Nutrition services, click here.

About Functional Nutrition:
 Functional Nutrition is an approach to healthcare that seeks to identify and address the root cause of health concerns, illness and disease. Practitioners of functional nutrition conduct thorough histories and utilize specialized tests in order to understand the unique interactions between a patient’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors that influence health. Treatment is individualized and cooperative (both clinician and patient play an active role) and is designed to not just relieve symptoms, but promote and optimize wellness. The goal of our Functional Nutrition program is to assess the root cause of your problems, and then to help affect a sustainable lifestyle change so you can lead a happier healthier life.

   
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