Ann Wigmore once said, “The food you eat can be either the safest & most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”. Needless to say, it seems like every day we “choose our poison”. Eating right is one of the basic necessities of our life; it’s necessary to make memories with the ones we love, and to get the most activity we can out of life. With that being said, what should we do in order to get the most out of our ticker?
First and foremost is exercise in combination with supplements (such as Vitamin B3 or even our own A-Heart Plus supplements). Food is natural and organic, and many people consider just their diet to be their medicine. That’s what A-Heart has in common with fruit; If you love the organic simplicity of fruits and their benefits, you’re bound to love all our herbal formula has to offer. If nature’s candy can lower blood pressure and increase the intake of oxygen, then herbal supplements can do the same (maybe even better!).
Referring back to food being medicine; to help your heart your heart be in tip-top shape, your food can be the key. You might be asking, “How do I know what foods to eat? Where do I even start?” This is where we make things easy for you. We’ll start out with one of the most important food groups—fruit. Picking almost any kind of fruit will get you major health benefits, especially for the heart. We went through and picked out the best fruit that keeps your heart thumping throughout the day every day. Let’s begin, shall we?
Raspberries – Can’t go wrong with any kind of berry to be honest. Raspberries in particular contain polyphenols (a certain type of antioxidant that cleans up free radicals in your body) which can lower the risk of strokes! Plus, with a heaping dose of fiber and Vitamin C there’s no doubt these tiny bursts of berry deliver heart-healthy results.
Avocados – Blending these babies up to make a guacamole, using it as a substitute for butter, or even throwing it into your smoothie will amp up your heart healthy diet a couple notches (yes, avocadoes are fruits). Monounsaturated fats have been proved to lower cholesterol, which they’re chock full of! They also keep your artery walls in check making sure they don’t harden (a process called atherosclerosis). Avocadoes tend to be high in calories, so make sure you portion them out correctly.
Red Grapes – You know what they say, red wine is good for the heart because of the antioxidants, so it makes sense that just plain red grapes are good for the heart as well! Red grapes contain antioxidants as well as resveratrol (an element that keeps platelets in your blood stream from sticking together (pssst, our A-Heart Plussupplement is a natural anti-platelet)).
Bananas – The most popular fruit in the world is also one of the best fruits to eat for your heart. The main nutrient from this sweet treat is potassium, which is essential for controlling blood pressure (one banana contains 9% of your recommended daily intake of potassium). Along with fiber, bananas also contain magnesium, which is essential to maintain optimal heart health. Throw one in your morning smoothie next time!
Apples – An apple a day keeps the doctor away is what we like to say! Eating apples daily has actually been proven to lower cholesterol, inflammation and the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. Anybody want to go for some summer apple picking?
Now even though all these fruits are sure to keep you healthy, just restrictively eating these foods will not give you a balanced diet. Balance with some veggies, carbs, the occasional monounsaturated fats, and protein and you got yourself a well-rounded meal plan. Just remember, a healthy heart is a happy heart!