Foods to Save the Heart
With one in six Australians affected by cardiovascular disease, you want to do as much as you can, within your control to protect your blood vessels and heart!
Along with other lifestyle factors such as exercise and stress, the food you eat has a big impact on your risk of developing heart disease.
Here are some almighty heart-saving foods that you should be eating regularly to help prevent your risk!
Blueberries
One cup of blueberries a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 15%
Blueberries contain powerful little disease preventing things called antioxidants. The antioxidants in blueberries, not only make blueberries the colour blue, but they help the health of your arteries and veins which pump your blood to and from your heart.
Fresh or frozen, add a cup of blueberries to smoothies, cereal, porridge, yoghurt, salads or eat by the handful for a sweet and tasty snack! Make sure you eat lots of other colourful fruits and veggies every day too!
Walnuts
One serving of walnuts per week (30g) has shown to lower risk of heart disease by 15% to 23%
Walnuts contain more omega-3 than any other nut. Omega-3 reduces risk of heart disease by lowering the bad fats that cause blockages in the blood, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Add walnuts to smoothies, cereal, porridge, on yoghurt, in salads, or have a handful for a crunchy snack!
Salmon & Tuna
Two servings of oily fish per week has shown to reduce risk of heart disease by 21%
Oily fish like salmon and tuna are also high in Omega-3, which helps to prevent blood clotting that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Have salmon in a pie, curry, pasta bake or pan-fried for a crispy skin. Add tuna to pizza, sandwiches, wraps and pasta bakes. As a snack, add canned tuna to rice cakes with avocado or have smoked salmon with cottage cheese on half a wholemeal bagel.
Oats
Eating oats every day can reduce cholesterol up to 23%
Oats and other wholegrains are high in fibre which can help lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes!
Have porridge or muesli for breakfast, add oats to smoothies, put them in homemade cookies or muffins, or bake them in the oven with fruit for a yummy dessert! Ensure your bread, pasta and rice are all wholegrain (brown) to increase the amount of fibre you are eating!
Look after your heart and it will look after you!
Weekly Recipe
Check out this week’s heart-saving recipe packed full of blueberries, walnuts and oats, which are all extremely protective against heart disease!
Serves: 4 Time: 50min Cost: $8 approx. ($1.33/serve)
- 1 cup of walnuts
- 2 cups oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup natural or Greek yoghurt
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 grated apple
- pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 1700C (fan-forced).
- Spray baking dish with oil or rub with olive oil.
- Whisk milk, yoghurt, oil, egg, maple syrup, vanilla.
- Add roughly chop walnuts, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, mix.
- Mix through blueberries and grated apple.
- Place in baking dish and bake 40 – 45 mins.
Serve with yoghurt!
Sources
https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/about-us/what-we-do/heart-disease-in-australia
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy380
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109717398224
