8 secret ingredients that promote heart health

Maintaining good heart health from early ages of your life is extremely important, especially if you’re a Pakistani. Hence, in this article we share some natural heart health friendly ingredients you need to increase consumption of, in order to promote prosperous and adequate working of your vital organ.

Heart, one of the most precious organs of the body beats about 2.5 million times, over the average lifetime, pumping millions of gallons of blood throughout your body. Given the heart’s never ending workload, upholding heart health is tremendously essential, as it can be easily brought down by poor diet, deficiency of some necessary elements and lack of exercise.

Moreover, salt, oil and variety of spices are the obligatory ingredients of Pakistani cuisines and no ‘perfect meal’ is complete without them. However, Pakistanis remain ignorant of how destructive these food ingredients could be, precisely for your heart. Therefore, following are some easy to find, magic ingredients you need to increase in your diet, that will promote proper working of the heart and overcome destruction made by oils and spices.

Heart health friendly ingredients

1. Fresh herbs

Fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano etc are the perfect replacement of excessive salt in your meals. Hence, necessary heart health could be achieved by including this sweet, refreshing and flavorsome greenery in your diet.

Additionally, herbs also play huge part in overcoming obesity, hence promotes weight loss.

2. Soy Beans and heart health

Boiled soy beans individually are much healthier munch on snacks than any other salads and crisps combined. A cup of these tiny green beans contain 8 grams of heart healthy fibers that equals four slices of whole wheat bread.

In addition, soy beans also helps in reducing cholesterol levels and contributes positively towards heart.

3. Sweet potatoes

The most favorite of vegetables, sweet potatoes also plays its role in heart health. As they have low glycemic index, this king of vegies does not cause a quick spike in sugar levels and are completely healthy.

Also, sweet potatoes are rich in bod friendly elements such as fibers, Vitamin A and lycopene.

4. Oranges and heart health

“A medium orange has about 62 calories and 3 grams of fibers.”

Sweet, juicy oranges are packed with cholesterol-fighting pectin fiber and encourage heart health. Oranges are also rich in potassium that lowers blood pressure.

5. Almonds and heart health

Small brown magic element, almonds have plant sterols, fibers and many other fats and components that boosts your heart activity to a greater extent. Moreover, these are also known to lower LDL cholesterol levels.

6. Black beans

Black beans, as tiny as they might seem are packed with folate, antioxidants and magnesium that helps in fighting hypertension, controls cholesterol and maintains blood sugar levels.

Black beans could be used as salad or soup toppings.

Note: Rinse canned beans to remove extra salt.

7. Salmon and heart health

Considered as super food, salmons are rich in omega-3. Omega 3 is known to lessen risk of heart rhythm disorders and lower blood pressure. Additionally, it also lower triglycerides and curb inflammation.

8. Olive oil

Olive oil is naturally made from smashed olives and is packed with heart healthy antioxidants. It also protects blood vessels.

9. Low fat yogurt

Yogurts are rich in calcium and potassium. Apart from doing wonders to bones, this sweetened dairy food also promotes heart health by lowering fats and blood pressure.