Happy Valentines Day!! Seven Heart Healthy Foods

In the midst of all the baked goods I’ve been eating, I decided to read about heart healthy food. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for American women, affecting more women than all forms of cancer combined. To raise awareness the Heart Truth Campaign by Diet Coke tweeted this image this week to help spread awareness:

But what I read this week is pretty incredible: 99 percent of heart disease is preventable with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

One major myth about heart healthy foods is that all fats are bad for you. In fact there are good fats (monounsaturated - olive oil and avocados - or polyunsaturated - omega 3 fatty acids) and bad fats (saturated - fatty meat and whole fat dairy- and transfat- in a lot of processed food). Bad fats raise LDL “bad” cholesteral which lines arteries with plaque leading to heart attack or stroke. However, the good fats actually help your heart by lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL “good” cholesterol.

Here are some heart healthy foods to try incorporating in to your diet:

1. Oatmeal - my favorite breakfast with a little brown sugar and banana

2. Salmon - great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids aren’t only good for your health but they actually can greatly reduce your risk of depression. This is evidenced by the Scandanavians who have a very high fish diet and are the happiest people in the world. However some fish have high levels of mercury so you shouldn’t eat fish more than three times a week. Also try eating wild-caught Alaskan salmon, farmed rainbow trout, and wild-caught Pacific sardines for high omega-3s and low mercury content.

3. Nuts - highly caloric but high in good fats! Studies have shown hat replacing carbs with almonds in a weight loss program leads to greater weight loss. Nuts have a high fullness index and actually increase metabolism so they’re a great snack.

4. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - when my mom and I were in La Jolla we found the store We Olive which features California extra virgin olive oil and has wine bar. You can sample all of these oils in the store with a small piece of bread and purchase some to go. They also sell olive oil products as an eye serum, hand soap, and lip gloss. Who knew olive oil had so many benefits?

5. Berries - decrease inflammation and increase circulations. Berries also have a host of vitamins and antioxidants. Blueberries even enhance memory function.

6. Beans - low fat, high fiber, great source of meatless protein. Studies have also shown that people who eat beans 4 times per week are at 22% less risk of heart disease. Black beans are even known for increasing brain power.

7. Broccoli, Spinach, Kale and other greens - anti-inflammatory and detoxifying -- also great at fighting cancer. Kale is in season now and available at your local farmers market! Check out this article in the New York Times about picking Kale at the farmers market and five recipes for how to prepare kale. I want to try the risotto with red kale and red beans!