Nourishing Foods For A Healthy Heart

Nutrition is one of the key, if not most important, areas to address in order to successfully manage high blood pressure, cholesterol and to maintain overall heart health. Here are some of the best whole foods that can improve these health metrics through a nourishing lifestyle. Blood Pressure It used to be thought that lowering sodium intake was the most important dietary change we could make to help improve blood pressure. However, we now know that there are a few other minerals that play a huge role in blood pressure control. These minerals are calcium, magnesium and potassium, which help to lower blood pressure by promoting sodium and fluid release from the body, as well as by helping arteries dilate, relax and become more flexible. Here's how you can incorporate more of these essential nutrients into your diet: Calcium: One of the best ways to get more calcium is to drink fat-free or low-fat milk and consume other dairy products like yogurt and cottage cheese. However, if you are lactose intolerant or dislike dairy, there are other good options. Canned sardines (with bones), cabbage and broccoli are other ways you can include more calcium in your diet. Magnesium: Good sources of this mineral include spinach, Swiss chard, high-fiber cereal, lentils and whole-grain products. Other magnesium-rich foods include almonds, cashews, mixed nuts, soybeans, legumes, halibut and oatmeal. Potassium: Almost all fruits and vegetables have potassium, so load up on 3-4 cups of frui...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news