Eating healthy is one of the most essential ways to take care of your heart. By doing so, you’ll get to enjoy a worry-free life as it will protect you from potentially fatal illnesses. This is also crucial for seniors because they are prone to suffering from heart diseases. Therefore, here are some heart healthy foods for seniors.
Don’t worry because most of them are affordable and readily available in local markets.
Garlic for Healthy and Delicious Meals
Garlic is another food that prevents inflammation. It is also known to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Another great thing about it is that it makes food extra delicious. Who says healthy foods need to taste bland?
Moreover, if you love pickles, you can try pickled garlic. Knowing the health benefits of garlic, you no longer need to ask, is pickled garlic good for you?
Watermelon
Rich in lycopene, watermelons can help you lower cholesterol and blood pressure. More importantly, this fruit helps reduce the thickness of artery walls to prevent clogging.
Cinnamon
The viral cinnamon challenge might have given this spice a bad name, but you should definitely give it a second chance. Cinnamon is rich with antioxidants and can help boost your metabolism.
Do you want to know heart healthy lunch ideas using cinnamon? You can try this one.
Pomegranate
This fruit is a great source of antioxidants such as tannins and anthocyanins. Pomegranates are also good for cleaning arteries and serve as a healthy snack for people with a sweet tooth.
Of course, we don’t want an unripe pomegranate. So if you want to know how to tell if a pomegranate is ripe, you may check this guide for your reference.
Apples and pears
Apples and pears are a great source of fiber which prevents inflammation of arteries. What’s more, they are also known to normalize the body’s blood circulation.
Avocado
It’s no secret that avocados are one of the tastiest and healthiest of foods. These are rich in healthy fats that won’t clog the heart’s arteries.
For those who enjoy smoothies, you can definitely add avocados to the fruits you use in making heart healthy smoothies.
Leafy greens
Leafy greens such as kale, broccoli, spinach, and parsley are rich in Vitamin K which is known to be good for the heart.
The vitamin keeps your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check.
Red wine
Grape lovers out there probably already know this. But for those of us who don’t, a glass of red wine a day is proven to help prevent blood clots and heart disease.
Extra virgin olive oil
Better drizzle your leafy green salad with some extra virgin olive oil as it is rich with both Omega-3 and antioxidants which are essential for keeping your heart healthy and in top shape.
Nuts
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that eating a variety of nuts can actually lower the chances of the development of both coronary and cardiovascular diseases.
Heart Healthy Foods for Seniors: Oatmeal
Nothing beats good old oatmeal when it comes to breakfast foods that prevent heart disease.
Fatty fish
Load up on Omega-rich fish like tuna, salmon, and sardines to avoid arrhythmia and atherosclerosis.
Dark chocolate
Keep your heart healthy and your taste buds happy by regularly eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate. The more bitter, the better.
Berries
Don’t hesitate to introduce berries in your smoothies. A study by the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom proves eating at least three servings of these fruit groups per week can reduce a person’s risk of having a heart attack.
Takeaway
These heart healthy foods for seniors are equally beneficial for young ones. After all, it’s always better to take care of your heart early on.
Aside from they are good for your health, the bonus is they are also tasty.
Source: Positive Outlook, Purewow