This Month's Health Tip

Eating for a Healthy Heart

According to Dr. Dean Ornish, expert on heart health, "99% of heart disease is preventable by changing your diet and lifestyle." Cutting out saturated and trans fats, increasing good fats (olive oil, avocados, and omega-3's), reducing sodium intake, stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly, are the keys to preventing heart disease. Certain foods in particular, called "superfoods", can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease (D. Mozaffarian MD, 2012). Add these 7 superfoods into your diet:

• Oatmeal - the fiber helps lower cholesterol.
• Salmon - oily fish is high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
• Nuts - walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts in particular help boost healthy fats.
• Extra-virgin olive oil - this fat helps lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease.
• Berries - they lower inflammation and provide cardiovascular benefits.
• Beans - eating beans and legumes 4 times a week has been shown to reduce heart disease.
• Broccoli - and other green vegetables like kale and spinach have anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects.