Heart-Smart Chocolate

A lot of evidence suggests that certain types of chocolate may be good for your health. The key is in the cocoa content.

Used properly, chocolate can help lower blood pressure, lower LDL (“bad cholesterol”), or provide potential anti-cancer benefits. Chocolate and cocoa are found in the plant – cocoa (called ca-COW) – and contains plant compounds purchased by researchers for these health benefits. However, researchers do not combine these effects into chocolate bars or chocolate-sweetened sweets but especially dark chocolate and lightly ground cocoa powder – extra cocoa in the chocolate, which contains many antioxidants. You will want to avoid the alkaline or Dutch-process, as this can greatly reduce the beneficial compounds found in chocolate. Choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or more, and limit your portion to 1.5 ounces. That ensures that you will reap the health benefits without adding too many calories.

Buying Pre-Packed Desserts

Be sure to check the label for this delicious pre-baked food — usually among the main sources of fat at the grocery store.

What to look for:

Like most desserts, packaged cookies, brownies, and snack cakes can be high in saturated fat, sugar, and calories per serving, so balance is key. If you eat these products regularly, be careful of those loaded with sugar, and choose those that contain 10 grams or less per serving and preferably as little fat as possible — no more than 1 gram per serving.

Beware of trans fats:

Individual and pre-packaged desserts can be a jackpot of trans fats — one serving may contain more than the daily amount of trans fats that the American Heart Association considers safe. The same goes for the delicacies found in the grocery store bakery. Both, you should make sure that the ingredient list does not contain partially hydrogenated oils. Organic products and those made from all-natural ingredients are usually the best bet. Better yet, make your own from scratch. Try these Hearty Healthy Desert Receipts.

The post Healthy Heart Basics appeared first on Dr. Hammad's Cardiac Care.

Healthy eating starts with having healthy hearty foods in your kitchen. They help lower cholesterol and keep your blood pressure under control. If you are not sure what food to buy, print this list to take to the store.

The essence of the refrigerator

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, which lowers cholesterol and improves heart health. Take them out first if you want something to eat. Remember, you need 5 cups of fruit and vegetables a day.

• Apples
• Berries
• Bell pepper
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• An edible plant with succulent branches
• Vegetables with dark leaves
• Eggplant
• Grapes
• Kale
• Oranges
• Pears
• Ugalonci
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Different Forms of Milk:Milk is a great source of calcium. Just skip the cream, and choose the low-fat or non-fat options.
• Buttermilk, low-fat or nonfat
• Cheese, low fat or reduced-fat
• Cream cheese, nonfat or light
• Creamers, nonfat
• Milk, skim, or 1%
• Sour cream, nonfat
• Yogurt, nonfat or 1%
• Soy milk, almond milk, and other non-dairy products may be options. When buying these drinks, choose sugar-free products to avoid excess sugar.

• Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Meat Sites: The American Heart Association recommends a two-week supply of fish. Eat healthy heart tofu and other soy proteins, too. Reduce cuts with meat fat.

• Beef, thin slices, and soft ground or sirloin
• Chicken or turkey breasts and tender, skinless, boneless
• Chicken or turkey, ground
• Pork tenderloin, sliced   with oil
• Seitan
• Tempeh
• Tofu
• Frozen Foods: When your favorite fruit and vegetables are out of date, choose frozen for nutritious desserts, snacks, and snacks.

• Unsweetened fruit (for example, frozen berries, raspberries, and strawberries)
• Soybeans (edamame)
• Vegetables and herbs combine without extra sauce, gravy, or sodium
• Pantry Essentials
• Beans, Cereals, Soups, Sauces: Beans and whole grains provide fiber to help lower your cholesterol.

• Barley
• Beans, canned, sodium-reduced: various cans of beans such as black, garbanzo, kidney, navy, and pinto
• Beans dried: Choose your favorite beans.
• Broth, reduced-sodium chicken, beef, or vegetables
• Cereals, whole grains (Note: Choose grains containing 5 grams or more of dietary fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving.)
• Corn
• Flax seeds, soil, or whole
• Flour, wheat
• Cereals such as wheat berries, couscous, polenta, millet, bulgur, and quinoa
• Oat bran
• Oats, rolled, steel-cut, or Irish
• Pasta sauce, with or without fat
• Pasta, whole wheat, spelling, or Kamut (Note: These whole-grain pastas come in the form of bowtie, fettuccini, lasagna, spaghetti, fusilli, spiral, elbow macaroni, and ravioli.)
• Rice: brown, wild, and brown basmati
• Soup, low-sodium, and 98% low-fat mushroom cream.
• Soy flour
• Tomato paste
• Tomato, whole or chopped, sodium-reduced
• Vegetarian fried beans or nonfat

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