American diet is the promoter of heart disease and refined carbohydrates are the hidden culprits. Look at the list below. If you consume any of these items you are prone to heart disease.
- Sugar added to coffee, tea, cereals, chocolate, cake, pops, candy, ketchup, etc.
- Deep fried foods such as French fries, onion rings, tempura, etc.
- Bakery goods such as doughnuts, pies, cookies, cakes, etc.
- Cured meats such as bologna, hot dogs, sausage, ham, bacon, etc.
- Alcoholic beverages
- Birth control pills
- Diet pills
- Excessive consumption of coffee (4 cups a day)
- Smoking cigarettes
- Margarine or saturated fats
Refined carbohydrates (all kinds of sugar including corn syrup, corn starch, glucose, white rice, and white flour) lead to the elevation of blood fats in the body and inflammation in the arteries.
Why are refined carbohydrates bad for you? Simply put, they damage your heart cells!!!
Yes, number 1 enemy of your heart is sugar!!
In fact, fat is good for your heart!! It’s the main fuel used by the heart. You keep your hearth happy when you eat natural foods like meats, olive oil, whole milk products, eggs, avocados, and nuts. It’s sugar that raises the cholesterol level. You cannot survive without good fats!!
In addition to consuming good fats you need these top 10 nutrients to keep your heart pumping strong:
- CoQ10. This nutrient enhances energy at cellular level, enabling the heart muscle to pump blood more efficiently. This nutrient keeps the body sharp and young. The best source is fish.
- Fish Oil. It’s a good source of essential fatty acids such as Omega-3. It reduces triglyceride levels.
- Niacin. It reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL). Use with caution if you have diabetes.
- Coconuts. It makes blood platelets less sticky. It kills many microbes, bacteria, and viruses.
- Garlic. It contains sulfur and acts as potent antioxidant.
- Turmeric. Use it in your food and you get antioxidant protection from this spice.
- Carnitine. An amino acid, it transports fats into the heart‘s muscle cells which are then burned into energy. This energy is used to keep the heart pumping. Some of dietary source of Carnitine include whole milk, avocado, peanuts, and meats.
- Taurine. This nutrient is made by the liver. It carries minerals into heart cells. When you sweat you body loses minerals. Sugar depletes potassium and magnesium from the heart. Taurine binds minerals tightly within the cells. Some sources of Taurine include cow’s and goat’s milk.
- Protein. Your heart is made up of protein, without it your heart cannot run. So, be sure you eat your meat (lamp, beef, chicken), but avoid pork at all costs because it damages heart.
- Magnesium. The backbone of a healthy heart. It helps the heart cells to produce energy. It also keeps the blood vessels smooth and elastic. The sources of magnesium include bananas, figs, apricots, and tofu.
In this blog I have compiled some helpful links to help you avoid this disease naturally without resorting to pills and drugs. Remember you are what you eat!! Change your diet by eating natural foods (like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, salmon), do regular exercises, and take your supplements, and you will restore your heart and life.
- The lies we’ve been told about cholesterol: The Cholesterol Lie
- Beating cholesterol: How to Beat Cholesterol
- Find out about the cholesterol and French connection: French and Cholesterol Connection
- How to prevent and reverse heart disease: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- How to keep your heart healthy: Keep Your Heart Healthy
- This one has a strange title: “How to Eat Food” but it educates you about nutrition and food: How to Eat Food
- Meals that heal inflammation: Meals that Heal Inflammation
- See why Mediterranean diet is healthy for your heart: Mediterranean Diet
- The secrets about Mediterranean diet: Mediterranean Diet Secrets
- Read about heart attack survivors and how they recovered from it: Heart Survivors and How They Recovered
