A heart-healthy New Year’s resolution

It is so sad to lose a loved one in the midst of the Christmas season’s revelry when everyone seems to be caught up in the merriment of the holidays. 

I was in two wakes a few days after Christmas to condole with the families of two close friends.  Heart attack was the cause of their deaths and both victims were in their 70s, considered fairly young in this era of advance medical cardiovascular research and heart-healthy food and supplements that are heralded in the market, health magazines, and heart-related articles on the Internet. 

In one of the wakes, I saw a friend whom I have not seen for a year and was pleasantly surprised to see him trim, slim, and looking physically fit. He explained that he had to change his diet and go on a physical regimen after a physical checkup that showed some of his arteries clogged and his cholesterol level hitting 350 (limit is 215, according to his doctor). It was a wake-up call for him and, after undergoing an angioplasty, he was determined to do a complete nutritional makeover. He no longer eats pork or red meat.  He is into fish and vegetables for the most part and, most importantly, he got himself involved in biking and hiking for his cardiovascular regimen.

After all the rich food that we ingested during the holiday season, it is time to go back to the basics and eat heart-healthy food.  According to the 2013 Diet Review on WebMD, here are some of the foods that will make our hearts healthier and make us shed unwanted pounds:  These powerhouses form a global approach to heart-wise eating.  

• Fresh herbs. Fresh herbs make many other foods heart-healthy when they replace salt, sugar, and trans fats.  Fact: Rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme contain antioxidants.

• Black beans. Mild, tender black beans are packed with heart-healthy nutrients, including folate, antioxidants, magnesium, and fiber which helps control both cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Tips: Canned black beans are quick additions to soups and salads. Rinse to remove extra sodium.

• Red wine and resveratrol. If you drink alcohol, a little red wine may be a heart-healthy choice. Resveratrol and catechins, two antioxidants in red wine, may protect artery walls. Alcohol can also boost HDL, the good cholesterol.

Tips: Don’t exceed one drink a day for women; one to two drinks for men — but talk to your doctor first. Alcohol may cause problems for people taking aspirin and other medications. Too much alcohol actually hurts the heart.

• Salmon. A top food for heart health, salmon is rich in the omega-3s EPA and DH. Omega-3s may lower risk of rhythm disorders and reduce blood pressure. Salmon also lowers triglycerides and reduces inflammation. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of salmon or other oily fish a week.

• Tuna. Tuna is a good source of heart-healthy omega-3s. It generally costs less than salmon. Albacore (white tuna) contains more omega-3s than other tuna varieties. Reel in these other sources of omega-3s, too: mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and anchovies.

• Extra virgin olive oil. This oil, made from the first press of olives, is especially rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. When olive oil replaces saturated fat (like butter), it can help lower cholesterol levels.

Tip: Use for salads, in cooked veggies, with bread.

• Walnuts. A small handful of walnuts (1.5 ounces) a day may lower your cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the arteries of the heart. Walnuts are packed with omega-3s, monounsaturated fats, and fiber. The benefits especially come when walnuts replace bad fats, like those in chips and cookies and you don’t increase your calorie count.

Tip: A handful has nearly 300 calories. Walnut oil has omega-3s, too; use in salad dressings.

• Almonds. Slivered almonds go well with vegetables, fish, chicken, even desserts, and just a handful adds a good measure of heart health to your meals. They’re chock full of plant sterols, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. Almonds may help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of diabetes.

• Tofu. Make soy protein the main attraction more often at dinner time by cooking with tofu instead of red meat. You gain all the heart-healthy minerals, fiber, and polyunsaturated fats of soy — and you avoid a load of artery-clogging saturated fat.

• Sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are a hearty, healthy substitute for white potatoes for people concerned about diabetes. With a low glycemic index, these spuds won’t cause a quick spike in blood sugar. Ample fiber, vitamin A, and lycopene add to their heart-healthy profile.

Tip: Enhance their natural sweetness with cinnamon and lime juice, instead of sugary toppings.

• Oranges. This sweet, juicy fruit contains the cholesterol-fighting fiber pectin as well as potassium, which helps control blood pressure. A small study shows that OJ may improve blood vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure through the antioxidant hesperidin.

Tip: A medium orange has 62 calories, with three grams of fiber.

• Carrots. The latest research on carrots shows these sweet crunchy veggies may help control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. They’re also a top cholesterol-fighting food, thanks to ample amounts of soluble fiber — the kind found in oats.

Tip: Add shredded carrots to spaghetti sauce and muffin batter.

• Oatmeal. Oats in all forms can help your heart by lowering LDL, the bad cholesterol. A warm bowl of oatmeal fills you up for hours, fights snack attacks, and helps keep blood sugar levels stable over time, making it good for people with diabetes, too.

Tip: Swap oats for one-third of the flour in pancakes, muffins, and baked goods. Use oats instead of breadcrumbs in cooking.

• Low-fat yogurt. While low-fat dairy is most often touted for bone health, these foods can help control high blood pressure, too. Milk is high in calcium and potassium, and yogurt has twice as much of these important minerals. To really boost the calcium and minimize the fat, choose low-fat or non-fat varieties.

• Coffee. Coffee and tea may help protect your heart by warding off type 2 diabetes.  Studies show that people who drink coffee three to four times a day may cut their risk by 25 percent — and even decaffeinated coffee works. Caution is due, however, for those who already have diabetes or hypertension: Caffeine can complicate these conditions.

• Cherries. Cherries are packed with anthocyanins, an antioxidant believed to help protect blood vessels. Cherries in any form provide these heart-healthy nutrients:  the larger heart-shaped sweet cherries, the sour cherries for baking, as well as dried cherries and cherry juice.

• Blueberries. The list of healthy nutrients in blueberries is extensive: Anthocyanins give them their deep blue color and support heart health. Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.