Super Foods for Seniors | Heart Smarts March 31, 2014

Hello Friends and Happy Monday

High Blood Pressure (HBP) or Hypertension affects around 50 million people in the US.  It can cause heart disease, heart failure, strokes and kidney disease.  HBP can be controlled with weight loss and eating right, however, sometimes medicines are also prescribed.

If you want to pass on the pills, and keep your blood pressure in check, go heavy on the fruits, veggies, whole grains and fiber.  Go light on the salt, red meat, saturated fat and cholesterol.

Adding these foods to your diet can keep your blood pressure in check.

• Barley – try eating it plain or added to soups and casseroles. Barley flour has more than 3x the fiber of wheat flour

• Celery – reduces cholesterol and relaxes muscles that line blood vessels to ease blood pressure.  Contains more sodium than most veggies so don’t go overboard

• Broccoli – contains calcium, potassium, magnesium and vitamin C all important fighters against high blood pressure

• Dried Apricots – great snack filled will iron, potassium, magnesium, beta carotene and cooper which help to control blood pressure and prevent heart disease

• Whole Beets – contains more potassium than bananas which is important for your blood pressure especially if you take diuretics to keep it low

• Spinach – guards against so many health conditions including heart disease, lowers cholesterol, fights cancer and much more

• Garlic and Onions – flavoring that helps when cutting back on salt consumption but they do more than just add flavor.  Onion and garlic keeps blood platelets from clumping together and making the blood sticky

• Guava Juice – This tropical fruit is packed with potassium and more than twice the vitamin C of an orange

• Sunflower Seeds – loaded with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that stops LDL, the bad cholesterol, stopping it before it can clog arteries

• Banana – fabulous fruit for a healthy heart

• Peanut Butter – contains monounsaturated fat which is better for you than cream cheese, butter or fatty lunch meat, it also fills you up making it less likely that you’ll overeat.

• Oatmeal – whole grain and dietary fiber lowers your blood pressure and risk for heart disease

• Fish – lowers blood pressure not only the sport of fishing, which is relaxing, but also Omega-3 fatty oil helps to relax blood vessels to make the blood less sticky so it flows easier

• Flaxseed – are loaded with soluble fiber, bake with flax flour or stir flaxseeds into the mix when making cookies, breads, or muffins

• Tofu – soy protein helps to bring down blood pressure and can easily be added to your diet

• Potatoes – contain kukoamines which is a chemical that lowers blood pressure.  Eat boiled, baked or mashed and stay away from fried as in french fries.

• Chili Peppers – cayenne and other chilis can slow blood clotting and even dissolve existing clots.  Capsaicin can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Changing your diet and eating habits can be hard, but stay Heart Smart and do everything in moderation!

Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!