Ten Tips to Lower Blood Pressure, Reduce Cholesterol, and Improve Heart Health
In order to make eating for health even easier, I have created a series of handy-dandy cheat sheets to remind us of easy actions we can take each week for optimal wellness. This week’s focus is heart health.
For optimal cardiovascular function long-term, I encourage you to consider incorporating the following ten items into your weekly routine. Or better yet, think of this as your daily to do list for a long and healthy life.
Wishing you excellent health and happy eating!
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References:
1. Diet Quality and Heart Health - Diab, A., Dastmalchi, L. N., Gulati, M., & Michos, E. D. (2023). A heart-healthy diet for cardiovascular disease prevention: Where are we now?. Vascular Health and Risk Management, 19, 237–253. https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S379874
2. Polyphenols and Health Health - Iqbal, I., Wilairatana, P., Saqib, F., Nasir, B., Wahid, M., Latif, M. F., Iqbal, A., Naz, R., & Mubarak, M. S. (2023). Plant polyphenols and their potential benefits on cardiovascular health: A review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(17), 6403. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176403
3. Omega-3 fats and Heart Health. - Khan, S. U., Lone, A. N., Khan, M. S., Virani, S. S., Blumenthal, R. S., Nasir, K., Miller, M., Michos, E. D., Ballantyne, C. M., Boden, W. E., & Bhatt, D. L. (2021). Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 38, 100997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100997
https://thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/lipids-and-brain-health
4. Plants and Heart Health - Jangid, G., Popoola-Samuel, H. A. O., Goda, K., Anamika, F. N. U., Gupta, V., Kanagala, S. G., & Munjal, R. S. (2023). Influence of plant-based diet on the cardiovascular system: A narrative review. Cardiology in Review, 10.1097/CRD.0000000000000613. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/CRD.0000000000000613
5. Whole Grains and Heart Health - Hu, H., Zhao, Y., Feng, Y., Yang, X., Li, Y., Wu, Y., Yuan, L., Zhang, J., Li, T., Huang, H., Li, X., Zhang, M., Sun, L., & Hu, D. (2023). Consumption of whole grains and refined grains and associated risk of cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117(1), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.10.010
https://thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/up-your-grain-game
6. Nuts, Seeds, and Heart Health - Balakrishna, R., Bjørnerud, T., Bemanian, M., Aune, D., & Fadnes, L. T. (2022). Consumption of nuts and seeds and health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic disease, cancer, and mortality: An umbrella review. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 13(6), 2136–2148. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac077
https://thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/nuts-and-longevity
7. Legumes and Heart Health - Mendes, V., Niforou, A., Kasdagli, M. I., Ververis, E., & Naska, A. (2023). Intake of legumes and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD, 33(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.006
https://thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/legumes
8. Fermented Foods and Heart Health - Li, K. J., Burton-Pimentel, K. J., Vergères, G., Feskens, E. J. M., & Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M. (2022). Fermented foods and cardiometabolic health: Definitions, current evidence, and future perspectives. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 976020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.976020
https://thewell-nourishedbrain.com/blog/seed-your-microbiome
9. Exercise and Heart Health - Masmoum, M. D., Khan, S., Usmani, W. A., Chaudhry, R., Ray, R., Mahmood, A., Afzal, M., & Mirza, M. S. S. (2024). The effectiveness of exercise in reducing cardiovascular risk factors among adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cureus, 16(9), e68928. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68928
10. Stress Reduction and Heart Health - Kalra, S., Miraj, M., Ajmera, P., Shaik, R. A., Seyam, M. K., Shawky, G. M., Alasiry, S. M., Mohamed, E. H., Alasiri, H. M., Alzhrani, M., Alanazi, A., Alqahtani, M., Shaikh, A. R., Al-Otaibi, M. L., Saleem, S., Pal, S., Jain, V., & Ahmad, F. (2022). Effects of yogic interventions on patients diagnosed with cardiac diseases. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9, 942740. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.942740