Feeding Our Heart!

How many times during this week, did we consider how our food choices are connected to the function, appearance and health of our body? Well today's tip is about "Feeding Our Heart" with the power of food (aside from feeding our hearts with love, of course!). When I refer to our heart, am I referring to one of the most vital organs of our body, both because its beat is the most immediate vital sign of life, but also because its health is directly related to our vitality, health and ability to function! So, here are the most available foods (my favorites) which pack the most power to keep our heart (and blood vessels too) healthy:

Oatmeal is the cereal of choice for our heart. Why? Oatmeal contains soluble fiber which binds to bile (bile helps us to digest and absorb dietary fat and cholesterol). Less bile, less fat and cholesterol absorbed! Then the liver makes bile from our stored cholesterol to compensate for the lowered absorbed amount, lowering our cholesterol levels further. Lower levels of total cholesterol are associated with lower rates of heart disease. Oatbran has also been shown to be even more effective than just oatmeal.

Pineapple contains the well known natural anti-inflammatory enzyme Bromelain. How is inflammation connected to heart disease? Well, research has shown that when inflammation exists in our body, we may also have high levels of immune cells circulating in our blood (one such type known in blood tests as C-reactive proteins) that may stick to our blood vessel walls similar to cholesterol, contributing to hardening and narrowing of our blood vessels. I recommend that we eat fresh raw pineapple on an empty stomach to optimize its benefit.

Green Leafy Vegetables such as spinach contain folic acid which has been shown to lower homocysteine levels in our blood. High levels of homocysteine, like C-reactive proteins and cholesterol damage the lining of our blood vessels. More Dark Greens!

Salmon and other cold water fish contain those heart healthy fish oils known as our "Omega-3's". These heart healthy fats not only help to lower cholesterol levels, they act as anti-inflammatory agents, helping to prevent blood clots and they may help to lower blood pressure as well as well. What more can we ask for from a fatty tasty fish?

Soy whole food products containing at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving have been approved by the FDA to claim heart health benefits if other health criteria are met, such as being low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. The determination is that if we have 4 servings of whole soy foods per day, we can significantly lower our LDL cholesterol levels (L stands for lousy, which is how I remember that this is the bad cholesterol!). Notice I mentioned whole foods such as tofu, and soy milk, since there are risk factors for some of us when we take in these powerful food drugs in other forms.

Olive Oil is a monounsaturated fat which has shown to have a higher protective effect on our blood vessels than even our polyunsaturated oils such as corn oil etc. It has not only shown to lower total blood serum cholesterol, but it appears to preserve our HDL levels (H for healthy cholesterol!). Our vegetable oils appear to lower both LDL and HDL! Some studies in Italy showed other chemical components in olive oil that help to lower dietary cholesterol absorption (hm, isn't a lot of olive oil produced in Italy?) which of course helps to lower total cholesterol levels. A tablespoon a day perhaps?

Garlic has been shown to also lower cholesterol, and it also acts as a blood thinner (inhibits the formation of blood clots) showing great promise as an anticoagulant drug with less side effects than synthetic drugs. Raw is recommended, so I guess we need to bone up on healthy breath fresheners?

Water is vital for every function in our body as we've discussed so many times, so here I'll just say that water plays a part in our blood viscosity (thickness), keeping our blood flowing! I have read that a high percentage of heart attacks take place within a few hours after high fat meals (thinking steak?) due in part to a large amount of fat molecules circulating in our blood which increases our blood viscosity. Keep drinking!

Okay, I've listed some of the most important foods we can choose almost everyday to "Feed Our Hearts". Of course, all fruits and vegetables contribute important minerals and to mineral/fluid balance, with a high ratio of potassium to sodium, so our minimum of "5 a day" really is important. All the foods I've given contain other health benefits, but today let's love our heart and focus on eating some of these everyday if we don't currently. Lastly, my list doesn't include all other available foods that are heart healthy, or nutrients that are found in supplements, but I think its a good start! Here's an important quote I came across:

"Heart experts generally agree that a 1 percent drop in total cholesterol can equal a 2 percent drop in heart disease risk. Heart disease kills more Americans than any other illness. Disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including stroke, cause nearly 1 million deaths yearly". FDA Consumer magazine, May- June 2000. (I'd like to add that cardiovascular disease starts when we're young with cumulative effects!)

Here's to our health (it's never to early to start)!

June www.junefit.com

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