Saturday, April 7, 2012

Heart smart vegan foods for women | Vegan

Did you know that heart disease kills more than one-third of American women every year, making it one of the deadliest diseases in the US? Leading women?s health expert Sherry Torkos, co-author of Saving Women?s Hearts, says the following foods should be in your daily diet to help boost your heart health.

Who is Sherry Torkos?

Torkos is an award-winning and nationally recognized holistic pharmacist who has authored fourteen books and booklets including, Saving Women?s Hearts, The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, The Glycemic Index Made Simple, Winning at Weight Loss, and Breaking the Age Barrier. She is also a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows where she discusses a variety of medical and natural health topics.

5 Vegan foods to eat for heart health

Coffee

According to Torkos, a recent review showed that moderate coffee consumption (4 cups per day) was associated with 18% reduction in heart disease. She says, ?Paper filter brewing removes harmful oils in coffee, and a single cup of coffee that has brewed for 20 minutes contains phytochemicals which act as powerful antioxidants.?

Foods fortified with phytosterols

Fill up on phytosterols. ?Drinks, juices, margarine?s, muffins and even chips found in every aisle of our grocery store are fortified with plant sterols, making them a delicious and substitution for everyday items we are already buying,? says Torkos. ?Studies show plant sterols reduce LDL cholesterol levels so significantly the FDA allows heart health labeling.?

Chocolate

What woman doesn?t love chocolate? ?Chocolate is ranked as the one of the top flavonoid foods,? says the health expert. ?The antioxidant effects of flavonoids can reduce LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure.? Just be sure to choose dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cocoa. Dark chocolate contain almost four times the amount of flavonoids compared to milk chocolate.

Nuts

If you shy from nuts because they are high in fat and calories, take heart: Nuts are great for your heart ? in moderation. ?Of all the nuts almonds and walnuts have the most research supporting cholesterol lowering benefits,? says Torkos. ?Studies also show a handful of nuts can actually be good for maintaining a healthy weight.?

Garlic

Several studies show that garlic can play a role in lowering cholesterol. ?Garlic is one of the easiest heart healthy foods to incorporate into diets,? Torkos says. ?Add extra garlic to any recipes for heart healthy benefits.?

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