Hey! Out for a quick lunch? So what are you eating today?
A crunchy salad and some freshly squeezed fruit juice or the usual burger, fries, and soda?
What you eat today is going to determine your heart health in the future. Sadly, one person
in the United States dies every 36 seconds from a heart attack. And the major reason is poor diet.
In today's video, we’re discussing foods that unclog
arteries naturally and prevent heart attacks. Should you be eating kimchi?
What about turmeric and garlic? We’re discussing all that and more.
But before that let me tell you what happens to your arteries when you eat greasy and fatty food
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Your arteries are the channels that carry oxygenated blood throughout your body.
They are inherently elastic. But when you start eating unhealthy food the excess fat, cholesterol,
and triglycerides start accumulating on the inner walls of the arteries. It's called plaque.
As the plaque starts accumulating over years, the artery walls harden.
They also hinder the free flow of oxygen-rich blood.
This is what the doctors call atherosclerosis. If that happens to some of the major arteries of
your heart or brain you could be put at risk of a heart attack or a stroke. But thankfully lifestyle
modifications like exercise and healthy eating can prevent and sometimes even reverse the condition.
Eager to know what to eat?
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How about eating a serving of kimchi every day?
This fermented Korean delicacy has been known for its excellent probiotic properties for years.
Research has shown this food to reduce fat growth.
Scientists found that people who consumed roughly half to three fourth ounces of kimchi daily had
significantly lesser bad cholesterol and decreased blood sugar levels.
This decreases the chances of clogged arteries. Kimchi is indeed excellent to
keep your heart pumping. Do you know that Korea is one of the countries that has the
lowest death rate from heart disease? Could kimchi be the secret to living a longer life?
There are so many different ways to make kimchi. Every traditional Korean family
will have their own recipe. It has been around for more than 1500 years.
To prepare your jar of kimchi just chop any vegetables like cabbage, carrots, radish,
cucumber, celery, eggplant, scallions, beets, bamboo shoots, onion, ginger, and garlic.
Add salt to the veggies and let them rest for 2 to 3 hours. They will start giving off water that
you'll have to drain after 30 minutes. Now make a mixture of rice flour, fish sauce, fermented
shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, chili oil, salt, and pepper flakes. Coat it on your veggies and put
it aside for fermentation for 3 to 21 days. You can eat the unfermented kimchi as well. Store it
safely for about a year in your refrigerator. But discard if you see signs of black mold in the jar.
Never skip garlic and onions in the kimchi,
even if it means having a breath mint afterward. Want to know why?
Because this food group is excellent for reducing atherosclerotic stress on your arteries.
Garlic and onions fall in the category of allium vegetables.
Leeks, chives, scallions, and shallots are its other family members.
Researchers carried out an extensive study for 15 long years on a large group of women.
A few of them who had onions and other allium vegetables
regularly showed a lower risk of mortality due to artery blockage.
These foods clear up the arteries and give a free pass to the much-needed oxygenated blood.
This thorough cleansing is possible because of a compound called organosulfur present
in these veggies. The same study also showed that it reduced blood pressure,
cholesterol, inflammation, and platelet clumping in the blood.
Most allium foods can be eaten raw, but only if you’re brave enough to have garlic breath later.
They can also be added to your fried rice,
used as seasoning on your dishes or pickled in vinegar to cut the sharp pungent taste.
The next healthy food that you should consider is flax seed.
These are the most underrated seeds when it comes to health benefits.
Those tiny but mighty flax seeds are a great source of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and fats.
But have you been adding a spoonful of these crunchy seeds as it is on salads or sandwiches?
The problem with doing this is that the entire seed may pass out of your body without getting
digested. So the next time when you get a packet of flax seeds just put them in
your food processor and powder them. That way they can get absorbed much better in your body.
Additionally, it's easier to mix them in baked goodies too.
The flax seeds contain a lignin compound,
SDG, that has a positive effect on lowering cholesterol.
Another animal study focused on how efficiently it could reduce plaque formation in the arteries.
Researchers fed a group of rabbits flax seeds after a high cholesterol diet.
Another group of rabbits was not given flaxseeds. After a few days, the research team was blown away
to find a 40% reduction in plaque formation in animals that ate flax seeds. That is huge!
You can also eat flax seeds in the form of butter like other nuts or seed butter.
Just put some on your waffles in the morning. Flaxseed oil is used by health enthusiasts too.
Do you know there’s another cooking oil that is fantastic for your heart health?
It's olive oil. But that does not mean you start eating oily food. And as it is, most mass food
producers use either corn, canola, palm, or soy oil for frying. They will have the exact
opposite effect on your heart. Only olive oil can keep your heart younger than you actually are.
There must be something that makes this oil the best of the bunch.
In fact, there are two! Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids and
polyphenolic compounds. Both are the real game-changers.
These are actually responsible for making your heart healthy and keeping illness away.
Olive oil is preferred by people living in the Mediterranean region.
Their diet also includes beans, high-fiber vegetables, and nuts. Research has shown that
people living in this region (particularly those eating olive oil) have improved heart health.
Another study found that if you consume 1 oz of olive oil for 4 months every day
you will enjoy improved blood vessel function. Your inflammatory markers
responsible for heart disease will also reduce.
But not all olive oils are the same. The darker the color the more potent and pure it is.
Extra virgin olive oil has a typical dark color that tells it has not been put through
infinite refining processes. Remember to pick up a bottle that is dark
in color as compared to transparent ones. It will be a little expensive but
investing in your heart health today is more profitable than paying for disease tomorrow.
Now let's talk about tomatoes.
If you're already eating tomatoes, start eating them more. Because this juicy red fruit might help
you to bypass a “bypass surgery” of the heart. And yeah, we said fruit over there. Very few people
actually know that tomato is a fruit. They come in an array of different colors like green, yellow,
orange, pink, black, brown, white, and purple but most of us stick to the classic red ones.
You don't have to always eat them raw. Cooked tomatoes are a great source of lycopene.
All those sauces, gravies, soups, toppings, and juices are going to have oodles of it.
It's particularly important in reducing the development of atherosclerosis.
A study pointed out that the lycopene from tomato paste products reduced heart disease by 17 to 26%.
Now that's nothing less than magic!
Another interesting study focused on having tomato sauce with olive oil and checked out
how the body responded. Surprisingly, this combination reduced the bad cholesterol and
boosted the good cholesterol. Olive oil plus tomatoes are a match made in heaven!
What else would make that pasta sauce so divine!
But be very careful of the store-bought tomato products.
They might be loaded with salt and it is the number one enemy of your heart.
Strengthening your heart without any medication or invasive treatment should always be your
top choice. It's often the first line of treatment recommended by doctors globally.
We forget that most of the sickness in our body comes from the food we eat. And still,
we won't stop spicing our food.
Wait, did anyone say spice? There is this one spice that you must
deliberately add to your food to stay away from heart attacks.
It’s the golden-yellow turmeric. If you're using the ground and dried variety then feel free to add
a pinch to your scrambled eggs, frittatas, tossed veggies, fried rice, and smoothies.
Go the classic way with curries, meat rubs, and the very popular turmeric lattes.
Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that has shown
promising results in suppressing the gruesome effects of atherosclerosis.
In one animal study, it was found that curcumin had a therapeutic effect on coronary heart
disease. It not only helped in getting some anti-inflammatory and anticoagulatory properties
but also reduced the fatty deposits in arteries by almost 25%. Isn't this spice magical?
Let's conclude on a sweet note.
Did you know that one extra spoon of sugar in your tea or coffee can make your heart skip a beat?
(pause)
Diabetics are generally more prone to heart diseases. That is why they are advised to stay
away from cakes and ice creams to safeguard their heart health. If you have a real sweet tooth then
choosing a dessert after your meals can put you in a bind. This is where dark chocolate can help.
Is the chocolate-loving child inside you dancing with joy right now? Hang on, there
are a few things that you should never forget. You can eat dark chocolate every day provided
you stick to only a few squares. Experts believe that having 40 grams of dark chocolate is enough
to raise nitric oxide levels in your arteries. This is important for the health of your arteries.
Next, white chocolate and milk chocolate should be off your list. They have too much
sugar that can mess up anybody's blood sugar level. The higher the percentage of cocoa the
better it is for your heart. Pick up the bar of chocolate that mentions 85 percent or more cocoa.
There are actually studies that link daily dark chocolate to reduced atherosclerotic
plaque in your coronary arteries. Now that's what we call a show stopper.
When you're trying to eat healthily, don’t ignore signs that your body
might be sending. It could be heart disease. Have I caught your interest?
Then let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more heart-related videos, shall we?
Watch 15 early warning signs of heart disease
you should look out for or 8 signs your body gives you a month before a heart attack.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to save a life.
Which was your favorite food from the list? Let us know in the comments below!