The Best Heart Healthy Foods For Hypertension

Heart Healthy Diet To Manage High Blood Pressure

Heart healthy diet or “cardiac” diet is one of the most important pillars when it comes to looking after your heart health. Cardiac Diet is not only for those who suffer from hypertension . It works wonders for anyone who wants to improve their health and increase energy levels. Heart Healthy Diet will make you feel and look younger and helps you to live longer with more energy.

If you live in the USA you may have heard of DASH eating plan (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). DASH eating plan is recommend to people who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol or cancer. DASH eating plan is can be quite similar to mediterranean diet that favors lean meats, fish, vegetables, feta cheese and olive oils.

What Foods Does This DASH Slash Heart Healthy Diet Include?

• Fruits and vegetables (like fresh or frozen blueberries, grapes, cherries, bananas, oranges, apples, potatoes, egg plant carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
• Low-fat dairy products (like low fat yogurt, milk, feta cheese, cottage cheese)
• Lean meats, fish and poultry (like natural chicken or turkey without the skin, salmon, herring, lean ground beef, tofu, egg whites)
• Whole grains, beans, legumes (like brown rice, oats, quinoa, whole grain pasta, lentils, black beans, kidney beans)
• Healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and vegetable oil (like almonds, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing)

Cardiac diet is not meant to be too strict or include only a few different foods. Actually it is quite the opposite. To be specific the idea of the heart healthy diet is to allow everyone to choose from their favorite fruits, vegetables, sources of protein and healthy fats within the guidelines. Heart Healthy Diet is rich is calcium, magnesium, potassium, fibre and protein). This means you have options. Try to find variety, explore new flavors and create new favorite meals. The foods that are deemed “bad” or “naughty” (foods that include saturated and trans fats, added sugar or sodium) need rather be limited than banned. We believe in Japanese KAIZEN philosophy – change for the better. It is all about the continuous improvement for happier and healthier tomorrow by taking one step at a time to prevent and manage hypertension.

What Foods Do I Need To Be Mindful Of And Limit?

• Fried and baked goods (like cakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, pies)
• Highly processed and high in fat meats (bacon, sausages, fatty pork and beef,
• Deep fried and battered foods (chips, crackers, deep fried fish and chicken)
• Butter and Salt (check sodium content and use more herbs than added salt in cooking)
• Treats such as alcohol, sweets, white and milk Chocolate, ice cream

Key To Success In Managing Your Blood Pressure

As mentioned we encourage you to take baby steps. We believe in building good habits for life yet nothing too extreme. They say it takes 21 days to build a new habit and it takes will power to make changes. We recommend that you start with small gradual swaps. This way you will notice in a short period of time how a healthy way of eating has become your second nature.

If you are with us and a healthy way of eating is your goal write it down with your WHY you want to create this new habit of healthy eating . Then imagine how it feels once you have achieved this goal. Writing down your goals and WHY you want to achieve them is powerful!

See our favorite examples below and continue to write your own list as you progress:

• Swap Ice Cream to Low fat Yogurt w berries and a dash of honey
• Swap Regular Coke to Sugar free Coke.
• Try Poaching or Steaming your vegetables instead of frying
• Swap Alcoholic Beverages to Non-Alcoholic version of your favorite beverage every now and then

If you are looking for more inspiration check out the latest DASH diet cook book 2023 here!