Written By: Upneet Pansare | Published : April 13, 2018, 10:39 AM
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If you have cardiovascular diseases, you know the struggle. You have to constantly monitor your food, physical activity, stress levels to keep your heart health in check. But in the quest to lead a healthy life, you may be committing some mistakes. Madhuri Ruia, nutrition specialist and Pilates expert, lists 9 healthy foods that may be bad for your heart (if you don't have them in moderation).
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Almonds in particular are a great calcium-rich snack and they're also one of the few proteins that are alkaline forming, which helps to give you better immune function and energy. She shared, Nuts aren't the first thing people think of when they think about calcium-rich foods, however many nuts contain a significant amount of calcium.
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Brown rice: Just because you are having brown rice instead of white rice doesn’t mean you can go overboard with it. Brown rice can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases because of to its antioxidant properties. But make sure you eat just one serving- 1/3rd cup every day.
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Refined oil – It is not at all heart-friendly. The chemistry in oils totally changes when they are refined and the antioxidants tend to get diluted. You need to have cold pressed oils, especially, cold pressed olive oil or cold pressed coconut oil.
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Fish: Oily fish is amazing for the heart. Full of Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties that allow the heart to contract better thus bringing down incidence of heart attacks. But make sure you have it baked or shallow-fried. Deep fried or tandoori fish is out of the question. Tandoor cooking exposes the food to very high temperatures. This boosts risk of heart disease, according to a few studies. You should have fatty fish just thrice a week.
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Chicken & red meat – When your cholesterol levels are up, you should ideally not indulge in chicken or red meat regardless of the portion size or the way it is cooked.
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Vegetables – You should be eating more vegetables for sure. But you need to have them either sautéed or steamed. Not fried. Keep away the tubers like potatoes or sweet potatoes. Too much starch can start piling up on your arteries. Tubers also absorb a lot of oil.
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Flax seeds – If you are on blood thinners, you must consult a doctor before having flax seeds. It may amplify the blood thinning process to an undesirable extent.
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Dark chocolate – It is full of trans fats which will worsen your heart condition. So keep to a maximum of one piece per day.
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Fruits – Fruits are easy to digest. They have too much sugar which converts to triglycerides. Don’t load up on fruits just because they are a healthy food option. You must keep away from fruit juices. Fruit juices are invariably packed with excess sugar because to get one glass of juice, you usually need about 3-4 fruits.
