11 Heart-Healthy Food Diet: Chart for Cardiac Health

Cardiovascular diseases are common in India. Reports from 2020 released that over 4.77 million Indians are affected by some cardiovascular diseases. Increased smoking, drinking, workload, hypertension and irregular lifestyle are the main factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Your regular diet plays a huge role in maintaining the normal functions of your heart. Therefore, to maintain the good health of your heart, you have to change your lifestyle. The first change should come from your unhealthy dietary routine. Otherwise, you are likely to face serious health consequences shortly. 

Read the complete to know which food items are good for your health and how they benefit your heart.

What is Cardiac Diet?

A cardiac diet is a colloquial term for a heart-healthy diet. This heart-healthy diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. This helps promote your heart's normal functions. Moreover, including healthy and good nutrients, a cardiac diet also eliminates harmful sugary and fatty items from your diet list. 

Benefits of a Heart-Healthy Diet

Undoubtedly, the term 'heart-healthy' answers all the doubts regarding its benefits on the health of your heart. Of course, a properly balanced cardiac diet is good for your heart. For your better understanding, please follow the following points that showcase the list of benefits:

· Controls your blood pressure level.

· Reduces bad cholesterol.

· Increases good cholesterol.

· Promotes better blood circulation.

· Reduces stomach inflammation.

· Maintains your normal body weight.

· Increases your metabolism.

Is Maintaining a Cardiac Diet Tough?

Any healthy routine comes with strict rules. It is likely to put a full stop to your happy food habits. Well, you can drop your worries right here. Indeed, you have to cut down on unhealthy items, but many foods can replace those items without changing much of your habits. 

Therefore, you can understand that following a heart-healthy diet is not tough at all. Add some of the following items to your diet, and voila! You will surely notice a significant improvement in your heart health. 

What are Those 11 Delicious Heart-Healthy Foods?

In India, a huge part of the population maintains a vegetarian diet strictly. Hence, to make it easy for every Indian, this article has a differentiated category to help every individual. You can choose your diet according to your choice:

Vegetarian

There is a myth surrounding a completely vegetarian diet: if a person doesn't eat non-vegetarian food items, they will lack the necessary proteins. You don't have to think deeply if you are a vegetarian.

1. Green Leafy Vegetables

Remember what your parents used to tell you. Yes, eat your green vegetables. Fresh vegetables are packed with vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients—moreover, leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, collard greens, kale and cabbage. Add broccoli, carrots, potatoes, beetroot, tomatoes, and bell peppers to your regular diet as salads or sauteed vegetables.

2. Fruits

Fruits are natural sweeteners if you crave sweet things badly. However, you all know the proverb about apples. Apples, berries (raspberry, blueberry, blackberry), avocado, grape, bananas, strawberry, kiwi, oranges and citrus fruits are all good for your health. Berries are rich in antioxidants that promote your heart health. Try to eat at least one fruit every day. 

3. Whole grains

The goodness of oatmeal is not unknown to anyone. Besides, other whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat and tortillas are fibre-rich. You can eat brown bread, bagels, and chapattis of whole wheat. If you are a rice lover, replace your daily rice with brown rice. You can also spice up your boring diet with whole-wheat noodles and pasta. But avoid putting sugar in them. 

4. Dairy products

you all know what our parents did to make us drink a glass of milk. But, you must maintain a few things while you are an adult. Drink skimmed milk rather than whole milk. Moreover, try to eat fat-free yoghurt every day. You can also eat fat-free cottage cheese once a week. 

5. Healthy oils

Yes, oil is not good for health, but you can consume healthy oils from olive, canola, sunflower and soybean. Moreover, you can also eat peanut butter.

6. Legumes

Chickpeas, kidney beans, lima beans and lentils are good for your heart.

7. Nuts

You can add nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts to your daily snacks to lower bad cholesterol. 

8. Dark chocolates

Yes, feel free to bite on your favourite dark chocolate bar. Dark chocolates promote in smooth circulation of blood. It also makes you happy!

Non-vegetarian

1. Meat

Though it's not good to devour meat like monsters, you can eat lean meat(95%), like ground beef, pork shoulders and skinless chicken or turkey for protein intake. Avoid eating organ meats like the brain and liver.

2. Fish

Eat sea fish like salmon, tuna and trout for omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Egg

Eggs are no doubt good for health. But you should eat the egg white for your good heart. 

However, if you are vegetarian, you can replace meat, fish and eggs with soy chunks, chickpeas and tofu. But you must eat vegetarian foods even if you are a hardcore non-vegetarian. 

Conclusion

A healthy heart is the mantra to a healthy and happy life. Visit your healthcare professional once a month and maintain regularity. Follow the medications properly. Furthermore, enrich your daily food chart with heart-heathy food items. However, don’t stuff each item into your daily diet forcefully.

Metropolis Healthcare is one of India's leading diagnostic centres. Visit your nearest Metropolis Healthcare Centre for any pathological test or cardiovascular test. They have a good reputation for satisfying their clients.

Some of the advantages of Metropolis Healthcare are as follows:

• Latest testing apparatus
• One-time sample collection
• Special attention to every patient
• Clean and sanitised labs
• Optimum safety measures maintained by the professionals
• An accurate and checked report in less than 24 hours

Final Takeaway

• Follow the instructions of your doctor.
• Maintain a balanced diet.
• Regular exercise
• Regular checkups after 35
• Regular tests in Metropolis Healthcare as prescribed by the doctors