HealthyHeartDiet:50BestFoodstoPreventHeartDisease

HenryHill

©2015HenryHill

TableofContentsIntroduction

ChapterOne-HeartandCardiovascularDiseases:AnIntroduction

ChapterTwo-CardiovascularDiseases:CommonTypes

ChapterThree-FiftyHeartFriendlyFoodItems

ChapterFour-FoodstoAvoid

Conclusion

IntroductionI want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading the book, “Healthy HeartDiet”.

Thisbookcontainsprovenstepsandstrategiesonhowtopreventorreducethechancesofacquiringheartdiseasesbyeatinghearthealthyfood.

Ithasbeenwidelyknownnowthatthegrowingcauseofdeathacrosstheglobeisduetoheart attack and cardiovascular diseases.Whilemany of us believe that it ismore of ahereditarydisease,itisbettertounderstandthatitoccursduetothefoodyouconsumeaswell. This bookwill help you in understanding the importance of eating healthy foodwhichisgoodforyourheart.Thepurposeofthisbookistoenlightenyouabouttheneedofeatingfruitsandvegetables.Itwillinformthereadersabouttheleadingcausesofheartdiseasesandthefiftytypesoffoodwhicharegoodfortheirheart.

Thanksagainfordownloadingthisbook,Ihopeyouenjoyit!

ChapterOne-HeartandCardiovascularDiseases:AnIntroduction

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease, as it is called in medical terms, is a fatal andpainful ailment. It is a broad term that is used to refer to diseases that involve bloodcirculatorysystem,heartandthecardiacmuscles.Thesediseasesaffectthecardiovascularsystemofhumanbody.Therecanbenumerousreasonsforthisdiseaserangingfromfooddisorder,hypertensiontoinheritance.Importantly,itisbecomingoneofthemajorreasonsof death these days. Though this disease has been controlled in developed countries tosome extent, developing countries still have highmortality rate due to heart attack andcardiovascularproblems.Ithasbeenseenthatthisdiseasewhichusedtooccurinelderlypeopleisnowprevalentamongmiddleagedpeopleaswellsuchasthosebetween35to50yearsold.Heartdiseasesarecausedbyatherosclerosiswhichstartsoffinanearlyagebutitmay not be known tomany peoplewhile the symptoms develop. In addition to this,atherosclerosisleadstoheartattacklaterinlife.Thisiscontrollableandcanbepreventedbyadoptinghealthyeatinghabitsandgoodfood.

Beforewelookformedicinesasameansofrelievingpainandsavingourselvesfrompain,it is better to have a look at the foodwe eat. In the present era, people have started todependmoreonfastfoodandreadytoeatcookfoodproductswhicharetimesavingandconvenient.However, they are harmful for our body and pave theway to a number ofdiseaseswherethefirstandforemostonesinvolveourheart.Heartisanessentialorganofourbody.Itistheenginethatdrivestheentiremachineryofoursystemanditneedstobetakencareof.Itiscomprisedofarteriesandcardiovascularmuscleswhichneedstrengthtopumpbloodtotheentirebody.Anumberofheartdiseasesresultfromblockageinthearteriesofheartandweakeningofheartmuscles.Organssuchaskidneyscanbereplacedortransplantedbutheart,ifitfailstowork,cannotbereplaced.Hence,greatcaremustbetakenofheartandoneofthebestwaysofdoingthisistomonitorthefoodweeat.

ChapterTwo-CardiovascularDiseases:CommonTypes

Thereareanumberofcardiovasculardiseaseswhichwillbediscussedinthischapter.

Coronaryheartdisease

It is the most widely occurring heart disease. The main reason for thisdisease is the narrowing down of arteries in the heart due to plaque orclogginginthem.Thecholesterollevelincreasesinsidethemandresultsinaconditioncalledatherosclerosis.Intheearlystagesofthisdisease,therewill be increased pain in the chest, breathlessness, pain in left arm andshoulder,nauseaandpaininneck.

HeartfailureThisconditionresultswhentheheartmusclesstartdegenerating.Thishappenstotheheartwhenthehearthasaninjuryinsomewayortheother.Commonformofinjuryisduetoanincreasedinbloodpressurewhichputspressureonheartandresultsinaninjury.Heartvalvescangetdamagedtoo.StrokeOfall the typesofheartdiseases,stroke is thedeadliest. Itoccurswithoutwarningandcancausedeath.Ifitdoesnotcauseimmediatedeath,itcandisableanypartofthebodysuchasinabilitytomoveoneleg.

ChapterThree-FiftyHeartFriendlyFoodItemsThere are a number of medicines available in the market to cure different types ofdiseases.However,itisbettertoimproveyoureatinghabitspriortoacquiringanydiseasewhichhelpsinkeepingdiseasesaway.Inthischapter,fiftydifferenttypesoffoodwillbediscussedwhichwillhelpinkeepingheartdiseasesaway.

Naturehasalwaysprovidedusthebestthingsforsurvival.Thisishowthetermevolutioncameintobeing.Whenenvironmentchanged,naturemoldeditselfandgavehumankindthingswhichwerebetterforsurvivalinthatenvironment.Natureholdsatreasureofgoodthings for eating which can save us from diseases. As has been discussed in the priorchapters, poor eating habits and unhealthy food pavesway to acquiring heart diseases.Food rich in fats plays a role in blocking arteries of heart and prevents the oxygentransportation tocardiacmuscles.This ishowheartattackeventuallyoccurs.Tocontrolthis, it is good to plan a diet which contains fruits and vegetables. Fruits are rich invitaminsandproteinswhicharegoodforourbody. Vegetablescontainunsaturatedfatswhicharebetterthansaturatedfatsandhaveapositiveimpactonourbody.Thesefatsarenot harmful for our body and help in nourishing our brains along with regulating ourmetabolic system. They also play a role in keeping the LDL cholesterol level low andincreasingHDLcholesterolinthebody.RememberthatHDLcholesterolisgoodforourbodyandLDLisharmful.

Inadditiontothis,researchhasbeenconductedtosupportthefactthatMediterraneandietis good for health and keeps cardiovascular diseases away. Before discussing the fiftygood types of food that help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and heartattack,wewillfirstdiscussdifferenttypesofdietsandtheirimpactonourbody.

DASHDiet

Thisdietiscomprisedoffish,vegetables,nutsandfruits.Itcontainsverylowamountofsweets,fatsandredmeatintake.IthasbeenprovedthatDASHdiethelpsinloweringtheblood pressure of a person and helps in reducing lipoprotein cholesterol level.A lot ofpeoplesufferfrommetabolicdisorderswhichpavesthewaytoheartattackaswell.DASHdiethelpsingettingoverthisproblemandregulatesthemetabolicrateofthebodyaswell.

HighFiberDiet

Fiber is that content in foodwhichhelps in regulating the functioningof large intestineandenablessmoothdigestionprocessaswell.Itisduetofibercontentinourfoodthatweareabletoremoveunwantedthingsfromourbody.Hence,animprovedmuscleactivityinthelargeintestineandabetterdigestiveprocesshelpsinimprovingthebloodcirculationin the body. In the end, it keeps the cardiovascular diseases away and is good for thehealthofourheart.

MediterraneanDiet

It contains a large amount of fruits andvegetables, a slightly lower amount of fish andseafood, aneven smaller intakeof eggsandcheeseand the lowest amountofmeat andsweets.Ifitisdrawnintheformofadietpyramid,meatandsweetscomeonthetopandthe largest base is occupied by the fruits and vegetables. According to the Dietary

Guidelines for Americans, Mediterranean diet is known for reducing the risk of heartattackandmustbefollowedirrespectiveofyouragegroup.Aresearchwasconductedinwhich1.5millionadultsparticipatedandateMediterraneandiet.Theresultoftheresearchwasthattheirexposuretoheartattackwasconsiderablyreducedalongwithareductioninchancesofacquiringbraindiseases.

Thefiftytypesoffooditemsthataregoodforyourbodyhavebeenmentionedbelow.

1. OliveOilIt is one of the treasures of nature which is extracted from olives. It containsunsaturated fatswhich aregood forourbody.The compositionofoliveoil canbeexplainedwith the help of an example. Suppose you have one table spoon full ofolive oil. Itwill contain 12gramsof unsaturatedhealthy fats andonly 2 gramsofsaturatedfats.Inadditiontothis,itcontainsOmega3andOmega6whicharetypesoffattyacids.Thesetwotypesoffattyacidsaregoodforthehealthofourheartandareknownfor itsnourishment.Oliveoil canbeused inanumberofwaysand thebestoneis topour itonsaladsasdressingandenjoytherichflavoralongwiththebenefits.Itisalsogoodforuseincookingandhelpsinprovidingahealthydoseofunsaturatedfatstothebody.

2. SalmonIt is a cold water fish which is rich in unsaturated fats. It saves the heart fromacquiringtroubleofblockageandeventuallyaheartattack.Salmondoesnotcontainsaturatedfatswhichresultincloggingthesensitivearteriesotheheart.Sincearteriescarry bloodwhich is rich in oxygen and provide it to the heartmuscle, it is veryimportant tomake sure that arteries are not blocked.Thebestway to do this is todecrease the intakeof saturated fats and salmonhelps indoing that. In addition tothis, salmon provides plenty of proteins for the body which keeps you healthy.Furthermore,salmoncontainsverylowmercurycontentwhichisusuallyhighinfishandseafood. If it iscooked inoilolivewhich isalsogoodforhealth, itcangiveaboosttoyourhealth.

3. AlmondsAnotherhealthy food forheart isalmondwhichcontainsplentyofunsaturated fatswhich are good for heart. In addition to this, it contains fats composed ofmonounsaturatedandpolyunsaturatedfattyacidswhicharegoodforbody.AlmondsareastoreofvitaminEwhichkeepsourhairandnailsstrong.Furthermore,theyaredeliciousandcanbeeateninalargeamountinonesitting.

4. AvocadosThese contain small amount of saturated fats and are rich in unsaturated ones.Avocadosarerich inflavorandaregoodforuse insandwiches.Makingapasteofavocadoscanbeusedtoreplacemayonnaiseandcheesewhichcontainsaturatedfatsandareharmfulforheart.

5. PeanutButterPeanut butter which contains hydrogenated material is always good for the body.Thoughit isnotanatural‘straightfromthefarm’foodproduct, itcontainspeanutsalongwithbutterbothofwhicharegoodforhealth.Whenpurchasingpeanutbutter,

makesurethatthebottledoesnotmention‘tansfats’intheingredients.Itisagoodbreakfastforahealthyheart.

6. OatMealOats are rich inOmega 3 fatty acidswhich nourish the heart and keep it healthy.They also contain potassium which is a good mineral for the body as it helps indiffusionandtransportationofparticlesfrombloodvesselstothecells.Inadditiontothis, it is rich in fiber and folate with a low level of LDL cholesterol. It helps incleaningthearteriesandpreventsblockageinthem.

7. YogurtItisrichinproteinsandgoodcarbohydrateswhichareimportantforthenourishmentofourbody.Ithelpsinreducingthechancesofacquiringgumdisease.Gumdiseaseis known for increasing the chances of a heart attack due to certain reasons. AresearchconductedinJapanshowedthatthepeoplewhoconsumedairyproductsintheformofyogurtdevelopveryrareguminfectionsandhavehealthybodies.

8. WatermelonItisajuicyandrichinflavorfruitwhichhelpsinsatisfyingthecravingforsweetnessandprovidesalowcaloriedietaswell.Itisrichinfiberandantioxidants.AccordingtoaresearchconductedattheLegacyHeartcenter,itwasfoundthatwatermelonisrich in lycopene which helps in keeping heart diseases away. It is also good forunblocking blood vessels and helps in enabling a smooth blood flow system. Inadditiontothis,itcontainsvitaminAandCalongwithmagnesiumandpotassium.

9.TomatoesTheseare rich invitaminCwhich isnecessary tokeepourhearthealthy. It isjuicy with a great flavor and can be eaten raw in the form of tomato salad.VitaminCintomatohelpstheheartmusclesfromdamageanddegenerationasitactslikeanantioxidant.10.Berries

Berriesare fullofantioxidantswhichkeep thehearthealthy.These smallflavorfulandjuicyfruitsareahealthysnackforyourbody.ThesearerichinHDL cholesterolwhich is good for the body and have low content ofLDLcholesterolwhich isnotgoodfor theheart.Berrieshelp inreducingthe blood pressure, are low in calories, contain no fats and are cancerfighting fruits. They also help in relaxing the blood vessels and enablessmoothbloodsupply.

11.CollardGreensas the name suggests, it is a green leafy nutritional packagewhich is low incaloriesbutrichinvitamins.ItcontainsvitaminA,CandKalongwithcalciumwhichisgoodforbones.Italsocontainsmanganeseandfiber,bothofwhicharegood for our body. It is important to note that collard greens provides thosenutrientstothebodywhichhelpinenablingthebloodtoclotwhenneeded(incaseofbleedingfromacut)andsavethearteriesfromcalcification.Theyalsohaveanti-inflammatorycontentwhichpreventsheartdiseases.12.BeansBeans are a rich source of proteins. They help in strengthening the heart and

keepithealthy.Beanscontainsolublefiberwhichisgoodforheart.Thereasonforthisisthatsolublefiberattachestocholesterolandpreventsitsabsorptioninthegut.Hence, thecholesterol levelof thebodycanbekept lowwithadailyintakeofbeans.13.WalnutsThesearenotonlyahealthysnackbutarealsogoodforheart.Walnutcontainsomega 3 fatty acids alongwith antioxidantswhich gives a boost to the bloodcirculatory system. It strengthens theheart andkeeps ithealthy. It isgood fordealingwithhungerandsavesapersonfromheartattack.14.QuinoaItisagrainoraseedwhichisverybeneficialforthebody.Itcontainsanumberofhealthyproteinsandnutrientsforthebody.Additionally,itisgoodforheart’shealth and keeps kidneys active. It can be used to replace red meat as theproteinsprovidedbyitarebetterforbloodpressureandheartthanthosegivenbyredmeat.Itcontainsmonounsaturatedfatsandisfreeofgluten.Itcontainsfiberaswell.15.CoconutoilItisfreefromcholesterolandisrichinhearthealthyfats.Itcanbeusedinplaceofmargarineandbutterwhilecookingandhasagoodaromawhichmakesfooddelicious. It also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties whichincreasesitsusefulnessforthebody.Ithelpsinkeepingdiseasesaway.16.PeasTheseare fullofproteinsandfiber.Their flavor isverygoodand theycanbeusedinsalads.Inadditiontothis,peasarelowincaloriesandacupfullofpeasadayisgoodforheart.17.CantaloupeItisakindofmelonwhichcanbefoundinmarketthroughouttheyear.Itisrichinproteinsandvitamins, especiallyvitaminC. Ithelps in reducing the riskofcoronaryheartdiseasesandactsasanantioxidant.18.LegumesThesearerichinomega3andcalciumwhichisgoodforbones.Theycontainampleamountoffiberaswellwhichhelpsthebodytoo.19.SpinachIt is said that green leafyvegetables are good for health.Spinach is one suchvegetablewhichisrichinvitamins,fiber,ironandanumberofmineralsthataregood for our body. Iron in spinach is good for oxygen transportation to themusclesofourbody.Hence,ithelpsinprovidingoxygentothecardiacmusclesandkeepsthemstrong.20.Flaxseed

Theseseedsarerichinomega3fattyacidsandfiber.Onlyafewoftheseseedseachdaycankeepyourhearthealthy.Theseseedscanbesprinkledonsaladoranykindoffood.

21.SoyLike all the abovementioned food items, soy are also low in cholesterol and

saturatedfats.Itprovidesarichsupplyofleanproteintothebodywhichisgoodforourheart.22.BlueberriesThesecontainanampleamountofanthocyanin’sandflavonoidswhichhelpsindecreasingthebloodpressure.Theseoxidantsplayacriticalrole in improvingtheheart’shealthandhelpindilutingthebloodvesselsforsmoothbloodsupply.23.StrawberriesAccording to a research conducted on women, it was shown that eatingstrawberriesreducedtheriskofheartattackinwomenby32%.Thisisbecausestrawberriescontainantioxidantsandvitaminswhicharegoodforheart.24.DarkchocolateAnumberofstudieshavebeenconductedontheuseofdarkchocolateforheart.It was hence found out that it reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack ifconsumeddaily.Darkchocolatehasantioxidantscalledflavonoidswhichplayaroleinloweringbloodpressureinhighbloodpressurepatients.25.OrangesHighinvitamins,thesearegoodforourheart.Orangescontainantioxidantsaswellwhichpreventsheartattack.26.LemonItisagoodsourceofantioxidantsandvitaminC.Ithelpsinloweringtheriskofheartattackbypreventingclottinginbloodvesselsandarteriesofheart.27.Concordgrapesthesearerichinvitaminsandnutrientswhicharegoodforahealthyheart.Theyprevent cardiovascular diseases by diluting the blood vessels and enablingsmoothsupplyofbloodacrossthebody.Thisreducesthepressureonheartandenablesittopumpbloodeasilyacrosstheentirebody.28.BrusselssproutsTheseareonekindofcabbagewhichhasanti-inflammatoryproperties.Ithelpsinreducingbloodpressureandstabilizesit.29.GreenteaYoumusthaveheardpeoplesayingthatgreenteaisgoodforreducingweight.Why?Because it helps inburning excessive fats inyourbodywhichhelps inreducingthechancesofacquiringheartdiseases.Italsohelpsinimprovingthemetabolicsystemofthebody.30.Redwine

It helps in diluting the bloodwhichmakes it easier for heart to pump itaround the body. It also prevents the blood from clotting along with areductionininflammation.

31.BranItcontainsunsaturatedfatsandhelpsinreducingcholesterollevelofthebody.Itisalsogoodforuncloggingarteriesandpreventionofatherosclerosis.32.RiceLikebran,riceisgoodforheartasitisrichinfiberandunsaturatedfats.Itisa

goodsourceofproteinsandpreventsglutenaccumulationinthebody.33.ChiaseedsThese seeds are a good source of low calorie food and high level of fiber. Itcontainsomega3fattyacidsandhelpsinreducingLDLcholesterollevelinthebody.34.Apples

All of us remember that one phrase from our childhood: an apple a daykeepsthedoctoraway.Itistrueandthatiswhyheartisgoodforthehealthof your heart as well. It contains antioxidants and saves the body fromaccumulationofcholesterol.ItalsowashesoffLDLcholesterolfrombloodpriortoitsaccumulation.

35.RaisinsThese are good for heart as they are rich in nutrients like potassium.Additionally,thesehelpinloweringthebloodpressure,dilutionofbloodvesselsandpreventionofbloodclotsinarteries.36.SardinesThesearetinyfishwhicharerichinomega3fattyacids.IthelpsinincreasingthegoodcholesterollevelandreducingthebadLDLonefromtheblood.37.CoffeeArecentresearchrevealedthatcoffeebeansaregoodforheart.Coffeecontainsantioxidantswhichpreventheartattack.38.BroccoliThisgreenandbeautifulvegetableisdeliciousintasteandhelpsinpreventionofheartattack.Itisrichinantioxidantsandreducescholesterollevel.39.Cauliflowerthoughmanyofyouwouldthinkthatitisnotagreenvegetable,itstillisverygood for your heart. It is rich in fiber and antioxidants. In addition to this, itcontainsallicinwhichpreventsheartattack.40.YamsThese are rich in vitaminC and iron.They also play a role in stabilizing thebloodpressureandstrengtheningbonesbyprovidingcalciumtothebody.41.GrapefruitIt is rich in vitamins and helps the heart by providing antioxidantswhich aregoodforit.Ithasajuicyflavorwhichgivesyoutherightamountofcaloriesandpreventsyourbodyfromaccumulationofcholesterol.42.GarlicIthelpsinreducingbloodcholesterollevelasitisrichinantioxidants.43.PotatoesTheseare rich ingoodkindof sugar foryourbodyandpotassium.Potassiumhelpsinreducingbloodpressureandpreventsheartattack.44.PomegranateItisoneofthenature’swondersanditcontainsatreasureofantioxidants.Ithasanthocyanins and polyphenols which enable the dilution of blood vessels for

goodcirculationofblood.45.OreganoIt contains ample amount of antioxidants and prevents accumulation ofcholesterol in the body. It is a good source of vitamin C. it also preventsinflammationinthebody.

46.HawthornIthelpsindilutionofbloodvesselsandenablesthehearttofunctionproperly.Itsmoothensouttheprocessofbloodcirculationandpreventsheartattack.

47.LavenderItisgoodforheartmusclesasitprovidesthemthestrengthtofunctionproperly.Italsohasantibacterialpropertiesalongwithanti-inflammatoryones.

48.ChokeberryItisrichinvitaminCandAwhichisagoodantioxidantforthebody.IthelpsinreducingLDLlevelinthebody.

49.GinsengIt gives a boost to the immune system of the body. It is further known forcontrollingthebloodpressure.

50.GinkgoThis herb is good for smooth blood flow in the body. It helps in dilution ofvesselsandpreventstheriskofstrokes

ChapterFour-FoodstoAvoidChapterFour-FoodstoAvoid

In thepreviouschapter, the foodswhicharegoodforhearthavebeendiscussed. In thischapter,wewillhavealookatthefoodtypeswhichmustbeavoidedsincetheyarenotgoodforheart.

1. BaconMany of us are bacon fans but it is a fact that bacon is not good for our heart. Itcontainssaturatedfatsinlargeamountwhichleadstoheartattack.

2. PackagedfoodItiseasytogetpackagedfoodandmanyofusloveittoo.Itiseasytocookandeatanytimeyouwant.However, it isenemyofyourhealthandpushesyoutowardsanearlyheartattackorstroke.

3. PreparedSaladsSalads are viewed as healthy for heart butwhat is often ignored is their dressing.Manypreparedsaladshaveadressingwhichissoakedinfatsandaredisastrousforourbody.

4. GranolabarsThesetastycrunchysnackbarsofnutsandoatsareirresistibleandmostofusprefertoeattheminbreakfast.However,theyhavealotofaddedsugarandareoilwhichcankillyourheartovertime.

5. NonfatfoodWethinkitissafetoeatfoodwhichislabeled‘nonfat’.However,itisnottrue.Whenfatsare removedfromfood, theyareusually replacedwithunhealthysugarswhichleadtotype2diabetesandeventuallyheartattack.

6. MargarineCertaintypesofmargarinearerichinLDLcholesterolwhichisnotgotforheart.Itclogsthearteriesandspeedsuptheheartattackprocess.

Hence,itisgoodtoavoidpackagedfoodormicrowavablefood.Junkfoodalsohasthesameimpactonbody.Eatingfreshfruitsandvegetablesisgoodforyourheart.

ConclusionThankyouagainfordownloadingthisbook!

I hope this book was able to help you in understanding the importance of a cautioushealthydietforyourheart.

Thenextstepistokeepinmindthesefiftyfooditemswhicharebeneficialforyourheartandsharethisknowledgewiththeonesyoulove.

Finally,ifyouenjoyedthisbook,thenI’dliketoaskyouforafavor,wouldyoubekindenoughtoleaveareviewforthisbookonAmazon?It’dbegreatlyappreciated!

Thankyouandgoodluck!

TableofContents

HealthyHeartDiet:50BestFoodstoPreventHeartDiseaseTableofContentsIntroductionChapterOne-HeartandCardiovascularDiseases:AnIntroductionChapterTwo-CardiovascularDiseases:CommonTypesChapterThree-FiftyHeartFriendlyFoodItemsChapterFour-FoodstoAvoidConclusion

TableofContentsHealthyHeartDiet:50BestFoodstoPreventHeartDisease

TableofContents

Introduction

ChapterOne-HeartandCardiovascularDiseases:AnIntroduction

ChapterTwo-CardiovascularDiseases:CommonTypes

ChapterThree-FiftyHeartFriendlyFoodItems

ChapterFour-FoodstoAvoid

Conclusion