Food Heals November 14, 2008
Posted by paripl110707 in Beta-carotene, Bioflavonoids, Cardiac Surgery, Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Damage, High-fiber Foods, Leafy Vegetables, Lower Cholesterol, Organic Fruits, Triglycerides, Uncategorized, Whole Grain.Tags: Cholesterol, Fruits, Heart Attack, Vegetables
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If you’ve recently survived a heart attack or had cardiac surgery. You may feel overwhelmed with questions about recovery—especially regarding your diet. Hope and help are on the way: We’ve asked four hear-health experts to weigh in on your most pressing post-illness questions. Find out what to eat, what to avoid and where to go from here.
Which foods will help heal and protect my heart?
You can enjoy plenty of delicious foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Highly pigmented, organic fruits and vegetables are best.
He particularly recommends dark leafy green, carrots, beets, and berries because “the antioxidants, beta-carotene, and bioflavonoids in these foods prevent cholesterol from oxiding and causing further damage to the heart. According to a recent study, eating five or more fruits and vegetables every day can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by up to 72 percent, with an astonishing 10 percent risk reduction for every piece of fruit eaten daily.
Add high-fiber foods to your grocery list, too. Fiber absorbs bile, clears toxins, and can lower (bad) LDL and raise (good) HDL cholesterol. He suggests stocking your pantry with beans and legumes, which are rich in fiver, low in fat, and cholesterol free.
Tofu and other soy foods are also cardiac friendly because soy’s isoflavones inhibit atheroscierosis (hardening of the arteries), improve vascular function, and lower cholesterol and trigycerides. And you can still enjoy certain oils, especially olive, canola, soybeans, flaxseed and help oils, which contain beneficial fatty acids; research indicates that canola and soybean oils, in particular, helps lower cholesterol.
Healthline with Pari 