Heart Healthy foods

Kitchen Secrets-Indian Foods That Are Good For The Heart

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is considered as one of the major killer diseases in the world? While lack of physical activity and stress could be some of the reasons, only exercising may not be sufficient to maintain a healthy heart.

Eating the right kind of food is important to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control.

Here’s a list of foods, which are readily available in your kitchen and good for heart:

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, fibre and lycopene and help reduce the risk of developing heart disease. They are also an excellent source of potassium that help in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body which is necessary for regulating blood pressure. Having sweet potatoes can actually help prevent an onset of heart attack.

Whole grains

Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, ragi, jowar, bajra and barley are a boon for your heart. They are an excellent source of fibre as well as other nutrients that help regulate your blood pressure. The plant sterols in the whole grains play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. As these grains are full of fibre, they provide a feeling of fullness with very few calories, help in weight management and a healthy heart.

Here’s a tip – Grind flaxseed in a food processor and add it to all your curries, cereals and soups. Flax seeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower your cholesterol levels.

Chilli powder

We all use chilli powder in most of our curries. If you don’t, it’s time you did! Chilli powder is known to prevent blood from clotting, keeps blood thin, reduces cholesterol level in the blood and therefore reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Nuts

Nutritionists say that people who make nuts a part of their daily diet can lower their ‘bad’ cholesterol level in the blood. So, eat almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds every day. Have nuts for a snack during your mid-day or coffee break. If you are up late and working, munch on them instead of a bag of potato chips.

The ‘good’ fats in the nuts lower your cholesterol levels, the vitamin E in it stops plaque from developing in your arteries, which may lead to chest pain or a heart attack.

Green veggies

Leafy vegetables such as spinach (palak), fenugreek (methi), radish leaves are low in calories and high in dietary fibre. They are also packed with potassium, calcium and folic acid. Studies have shown that these nutrients in the green leafy vegetables help in lowering the risk of heart diseases by nearly 11 per cent.

Rajma (kidney beans)

Rajma, also known as kidney beans is a rich source of folic acid, antioxidants and magnesium. These nutrients are excellent for lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol. Rajma is very low in calories and a great addition to your diet if you are working towards maintaining a healthy heart. The soluble fibre in the kidney beans stops the bile acids from turning into cholesterol and thus preventing the possibilities of heart attack or stroke.

 

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