Living in a small town provides itself with many perks, however, one thing it often lacks is the variety of options at the grocery store. I must admit, it took several months to become accustomed to the local grocery store, without its health food aisle, rows and rows of fresh produce and fancy cooking items. I often have to remind myself that you don’t have to have an organic section or the access to the latest health food product to eat healthy. It is actually fairly simple to eat healthy if you know where to start.
For this post I am going to focus on heart healthy foods. Cardiovascular disease is the number one leading cause of death in America. A healthy diet and exercise can lower your risk.
See below for eight easy to find foods to incorporate into your diet.
Avocados – high in monounsaturated (good) fat and antioxidants that help in reducing inflammation and risk of heart disease.
Beans – rich in fiber which help aid in lowering cholesterol as well as keeping you “regular”
Berries – packed with heart healthy antioxidants, flavonoids and fiber.
Grapes – contain resveratrol which has shown to protect against inflammation.
Nuts – high in antioxidants and “good” fats which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Olive Oil – contains monounsaturated fats which are linked to reducing risk of heart disease.
Sweet Potatoes – high in potassium which helps lower blood pressure.
Whole Grains – rich in fiber and antioxidants which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Next time you are at the grocery store, you don’t have to search for the health food aisle, just look for these simple foods to get on the right track to healthy eating and protecting your heart!
