One way to keep your heart healthy is to eat the right foods! Here are a few good snacks that will help keep your heart and stomach happy:

Fresh Herbs– Fresh herbs make many other foods heart-healthy when they replace salt, fat, and cholesterol. Many fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme, have high levels of antioxidants.

Red Wine– A little red wine is a heart-healthy choice. Resveratrol and catechins, two antioxidants in red wine, may protect artery walls. Alcohol can also boost HDL, the good cholesterol.

Sweet Potatoes—With a low glycemic index, sweet potatoes won’t cause a quick spike in blood sugar the way white potatoes do. They also contain a good amount of fiber, vitamin A, and lycopene to add to their heart-healthy profile.

Coffee– Studies show that people who drink 3-4 cups a day may cut their risk of heart problems by 25%, and even decaffeinated coffee works.

Cayenne Chili Pepper– A small study in Australia showed that simply adding chili to a hamburger meal produced lower insulin levels in overweight volunteers.

To see what other foods are great for your hear, check out this great slideshow from WebMD.

Think you drink too much coffee? Well think again! According to a recent article on WebMD, studies show that drinkers of coffee and tea have a dramatically lower chance of dying from heart disease than those who abstain.

A recent study, which involved over 37,000 people from The Netherlands in the last 13 years, found the following:

• People who drank three to six cups of tea per day had a 45% lower risk of death from heart disease than people who drank less than one cup of tea a day.
• Drinking more than six cups of tea a day was associated with a 36% lower risk of heart disease, compared to drinking less than one cup.
• People who drank more than two, but no more than four, cups of coffee a day had about a 20% lower risk of heart disease than people who drank more or less coffee or no coffee at all.
• Moderate coffee consumption was associated with a slight, but not statistically significant, reduction in death from heart disease, but neither coffee nor tea affected stroke risk.

While 6 cups of tea may seem like a lot for one day, remember that a large mug of tea may contain 3 or more cups worth, and Iced Tea counts too!

The researchers believe that Flavonoids (powerful antioxidants) found in black and green tea and coffee may explain the beneficial effect seen in the study. Flavonoids are also found in other heart healthy foods and drinks such as red wine, red grapes, dark chocolate, blueberries, and red beans.

When most people think of healthy foods, they think GREEN. But studies show that the color RED isn’t only the official color of The American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” heart health awareness movement, but it’s also the color of the foods that both men and women should have in their diet to maintain a happy, healthy heart. Here are some examples (from CBS News) of red “heart foods,” why they’re so great for you, and a delicious dish you can make with each!

TOMATOES: DISH: Fresh tomato sauce over pasta
- One of the MOST concentrated food sources of Lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect you from heart disease
- Low Cal – A medium size tomato only has 22 calories
- Part of your recommended daily amount for fruits and veggies: at least 4.5 cups a day

BEETS: DISH: Beet Salad
- Provides 19% of your daily value for Folate
- NO saturated fat
- High in manganese and potassium

RED CHILI PEPPERS: DISH: CHILI
- Contains an antioxidant (capsaicin)
- Can help protect blood vessels
- Increases your body’s metabolism

RED KIDNEY BEANS – DISH: CHILI
- low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium
- good source of fiber – can help you feel full longer, which may help in weight loss
- healthy sub for red meat
- AHA recommends eating at least 4 servings/week of beans, nuts or seeds

POMEGRANATE – DISH: Yogurt sprinkled with seeds
- may help reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries and lower blood pressure
- rich with Vitamin C and antioxidants – which may reduce inflammation and lower BAD cholesterol
- **WARNING: check with your doctors, may have interactions with medications, may not be for people on statins

Investing time and energy on a low fat diet may result in the short-term loss of weight, but it also isn’t likely to have much of an effect on your heart health or cholesterol levels. New results from one of the largest women’s health studies ever conducted, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), brought interesting results relating to heart health.

According to an article from the April issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which analyzed results from the WHI, low fat diets will not raise or lower your cholesterol; only people who consumed less harmful fats like trans fat and saturated fat had lower risk of heart disease.

Additionally, statistics show that many people who lose weight on a strict low fat diet regain that weight, and sometimes even more when they stop their diet. Regular healthy consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables can go a long way, and helps build a strong foundation for maintaining health later in life.

Click here for other misconceptions about low fat diets.

In honor of International Omega-3 Awareness Day, the third day of the third month of the year, it’s time to set the record straight about the wonder nutrient Omega-3s. The first research finding correlation between lower risk of heart disease and omega-3 fatty acids goes back to the 1970s when two Danish scientists discovered that Eskimos in Greenland had an extremely low rate of heart attacks—about one-tenth the U.S. rate—despite eating a diet high in fish, seal, and whale fat.  Now 40 years later, researchers still agree that omega-3s play a key role in shrinking risk of coronary diseases.

However, there is a critical disclaimer to that statement. All omega-3s are not the same; only fatty acids from fish known as DHA and EPA are known to deliver a large heart benefit. The ALA acids found in plants such as flaxseed, walnuts, and canola oil have a shorter carbon chain that has to be converted to DHA and EPA by your body; and human bodies are not efficient at turning plant omega-3s into the fish kind.

Additional claims about omega-3s should be taken with a grain of salt. Studies have suggested that the EPA and DHA might help battle dementia, ADHD, and cancer. But there’s a problem. The research mostly looked at the improvement rates of these conditions among people who ate a lot of fish. The type of person who goes out of their way to eat fish several times per week is most likely doing other things to take care of their health; like eat less red meat and exercise more. This alone does not prove that omega-3s are responsible, but it could be the combination of fish consumption along with regular exercise.

Click here for more information on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Check out this list for some of the best heart healthy foods filled with fiber, protein, antioxidants and more!

Fresh Herbs: these flavor power-houses can make other foods even better for you because they can replace salt, fat, and cholesterol.

Black Beans: are filled with heart healthy nutrients such as folate, antioxidants, magnesium for lowering blood pressure, and fiber which helps control cholesterol and blood sugar

Red Wine: for those that consume alcohol, red wine may be the best choice; two antioxidants found in red wine can help raise levels of good cholesterol.

Salmon: one of the top best foods for heart health, salmon is rich in omega-3s which help lower the risk of sudden cardiac death.  Tuna is another great option that is rich in omega-3s; albacore tuna contains the most out of other tuna varieties.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: this oil, made from the first press of olives, is rich in heart healthy antioxidants that can help lower cholesterol.  Add it to just about anything for a boost of flavor and help your heart at the same time!

Almonds: are full of vitamin E, fiber, and heart healthy fats that can help lower bad cholesterol.  Just add a handful of slivered almost to vegetables, chicken, yogurt, and even desserts!

Soy Protein: edamame and tofu are both soy protein products that contain cholesterol lowering fiber that help you avoid a load of artery clogging saturated fat.

Oatmeal: oats in different forms can help boost your heart health by lowering levels of bad cholesterol.  Plus, a warm bowl of oatmeal will fill you up for hours helping you curb snack cravings.

• Tasty Tip: swap oats for one-third of the flour in pancakes muffins and baked goods for a texturally unique breakfast or snack!

For more heart healthy tips, participate in one of these heart month online chats.



A new study shows that excessive caffeine intake may cause heart risks in individuals who do not follow a healthy diet. Read more

There are many heart healthy foods out there, and nuts are on this list. According to About.com, eating nuts significantly reduces the incidence of coronary artery disease. About.com states that it was concluded in an issue of Nutrition Reviews that, “based on this large amount of available data, eating an ounce of nuts more than five times a week can reduce the risk of coronary artery disease by an astounding 25 – 39%”.

Why are nuts so healthful? For one, they are filled with unsaturated fatty acids, and are low in saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are a large contributor in developing high cholesterol. Using unsaturated fatty acids in the diet is part of a cholesterol-lowering diet. Nuts also include vitamin E, folic acid and plant fiber.

For more information on cardiovascular care, visit NorthShore University HealthSystem’s cardiology department.

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It is no secret that sodium can have negative effects on the heart, affecting blood pressure readings the most. Recent news emphasizes this point by highlighting patients that are already on medication for the treatment of high blood pressure. A recent publication of the journal Hypertension shows the ways in which salt can be counterproductive to hypertension treatment.
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