According to the British Heart Foundation, there are around 7.6 million people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK – an ageing and growing population and improved survival rates from heart and circulatory events could see these numbers rise even further. The BHF estimates in the UK more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in our lifetime and heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in the UK; that’s more than 160,000 deaths each year, or 460 each day.
Goldster’s (a digital platform for healthy living and ageing) Nutritionist Claudia Le Feuvre, has compiled best foods to eat to keep your heart in optimum condition as you get older. Diet is key in preventing heart disease and heart attacks. If you are educated about your diet and how you can help your heart, ageing healthily becomes so much easier. Healthy eating and lowering cholesterol should be straightforward and relatively inexpensive with these accessible tips.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is brilliant because it contains flavonoids that may help with blood pressure that can help to reduce inflammation as well – much heart disease is considered inflammatory now. Look for levels of over 85% cocoa in your dark chocolate which will mean low sugar and low dairy content.
Oats
Oats are rich in beta glucans and soluble fibre which can lower cholesterol. A good way of getting oats into your diet is to eat porridge for breakfast. You can use dairy or a plant milk and add all kinds of lovely extras such as fresh fruit, flax seeds, spices and other nuts and seeds to make it even more delicious. If you are gluten-free, be sure to buy gluten-free oats.
Beans
Beans are a great source of fibre to help lower cholesterol and tri glyceride levels. Even the humble tin of baked beans counts (if you opt for the ones which are reduced in sugar and salt) and you can sprinkle some dried oregano or turmeric on them to turbocharge the nutrient status.
Greens (kale broccoli spinach)
They will boost your heart health by increasing your antioxidants. Are you getting your 7 portions of fruit and veg a day?
Nuts (also avocadoes and oily fish)
These contain heart-healthy fats and are rich in omega 3 and vitamin E to increase the good cholesterol HDL and lower the bad cholesterol LDL. As mentioned earlier you can grate into your morning porridge and/or make your own trail mix, crush up walnuts and put on top of salmon and they’re also a handy snack to have at hand if you feel peckish. If you can’t have nuts, avocados and oily fish are a must.
Claudia Le Feuvre, Nutritionist, Goldster, a digital platform for healthy living and ageing
The ultimate guide to makeup with SPF protection