Yes, You Can Eat Your Way to Better Heart Health

 

Worldwide, heart disease kills more people than any other cause of death. An estimated 17.9 million people died from cardio-vascular disease in 2019 alone, representing 1/3 of all global deaths. In the USA, 660,000 perished that year. Sadly, many of those deaths could have been prevented because many of the factors that contribute to heart disease are lifestyle and environmental factors that are under our control.

Among the most important controllable contributors to cardio-vascular health are not smoking, regular moderate exercise and a heart-healthy diet. Adopting a healthy diet can add as much as 13 years to your lifespan according to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

To help you choose a diet that will work for you, and cash in on those free 13 years, the American Heart Association ranked 10 popular diets based on their ability to meet the AHA’s evidence-based dietary guidance for hearth health, published in 2021. Here is what they found.

Remember, much like asking for the Covid vaccine when you show up at the hospital infected and unable to breathe, when you are in the back of the ambulance on the way to your local emergency room it is too late to change your diet. Do it now.

Why Grownups Eat Spinach

 

I don't know about anyone else but I hated spinach when I was a kid. I mean really HATED it. It may have had something to do with my mother (God bless her) believing that vegetables should be boiled in water until you could eat them with a straw but, whatever the reason, I would rather have just gone hungry than eat it. I'm not sure when that began to change. It may have been the spinach in the omelets that I used to have at IHOP. Or when I discovered (probably because I was served it at someone's home) that it was actually pretty tasty raw in a salad. Or floating around in an otherwise very appealing bowl of soup. Whenever it happened, it is rare that a week goes by any more that I do not polish off a bag of it.

It turns out that is a good thing. I don't believe in the word "superfood". But if I did, then spinach would be on the list. Spinach contains vitamins and antioxidants that protect from chronic diseases and promote brain, cardiovascular and eye health. And you can easily add spinach to your meals to maximize those benefits. 

Here are some of the benefits to revisiting your relationship with spinach.

- It's packed with a wide range of important nutrients.
- High in free-radical busting anti-oxidants.
- Supports brain health as we age.
- Helps to manage healthy blood pressure.
- Promotes eye health.

If you have not been a fan, how do you ease into eating more spinach? Happily it could not be easier because, basically, you can add spinach to nearly any dish. Incorporate a handful of spinach into your meals as a bed for whatever else you're eating to add a few spinach leaves with each bite. For a quick and easy side dish, toss spinach with a simple vinaigrette made by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and dried Italian herb seasoning. Saute spinach in extra virgin olive oil with sweet red bell peppers and crushed red pepper, or steam and toss the greens with jarred olive tapenade. Add it to soups, stews and egg dishes.

Read more here.

One of the great things about getting older is you can stop hating the foods that you hated when you were 13!