Recipe for the Heart
There are many diets ranging from the Mediterranean to the keto diet promising weight loss and lean tummy. But finding the right one that benefits our body can vary from person to person. Recent studies show that a plant-based diet can do wonders for your heart health. Eating more fruits and vegetables daily improves your heart health and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. A plant-based diet not only lowers the bad cholesterol but improves the good cholesterol in your body.
Foods were classified into three groups:
Beneficial foods: fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains
Adverse foods: fried potatoes, high fat red meat, salty snacks, pastries and soft drinks
Neutral foods: potatoes, refined grains, lean meats and shellfish
During the long run, people who ate beneficial food were less likely to develop heart diseases. The adverse foods increased heart attacks, stroke, heart failure or clogged arteries.
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” Albert Einstein
A plant-based diet can include moderate amounts of poultry, fish, eggs, and low-fat dairy but simply avoid highly processed foods.
Foods that reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL(good cholesterol)
· Oats
· Nuts
· Fruits like avocado, apples, prunes, and oranges
· Fatty fish
· Whole grains
· Flax and chia seeds
· Olive oil
“When you start eating food without labels, you no longer need to count calories.” Amanda Kraft
The portfolio diet is a vegan diet developed by David Jenkins, which emphasizes high fibre, low saturated fat food in your diet. It includes nuts, oats, barley, eggplant, apples, oranges, and berries along with limiting the intake of processed foods.
Benefits
· Lowers cholesterol
· Lowers blood sugar level
· Improves digestion
· Improves energy levels
· Improves immunity
· Reduces inflammation
“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” HIPPOCRATES
TAKEAWAY
Eating more plant-based foods at any stage of life; adulthood or midlife can benefit our cardiovascular health as it increases longevity and keeps us healthy, which is the greatest possession in life.
