Eat Your Way to a Healthy Heart:

4 Heart Healthy Spring Foods

Dr. Satyabrata Chattrerjee

Spring is here. With the onset of warm weather, people tend to want to eat healthier and be more active than they were during the cool winter months. This is in large part to a great number of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available during this time. However, aside from your typical carrots and apple a day diet, there are other springtime foods that you can enjoy.

Dr. Satyabrata Chatterjee of Chatterjee Cardiology highlights 4 great springtime heart healthy foods to incorporate into your diet.

NutsDr. Satyabrata Chatterjee recommends incorporating nuts into your diet. Nuts and seeds are full of fiber, Vitamin E, protein, and healthy fats. These benefits are known for lowering inflammation, reduce risk of developing blood clots, and improve the lining of your arteries. There are plenty of great uses for nuts, such as salad toppings, cereals, trail mix and more.

For those with nut allergies, you swap nuts out for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.

Ground Flaxseed

Flaxseed is a great source of ALA, a fatty Omega-3 acid that the body needs. When consumed, Flaxseed helps to normalize blood pressure, reduce blood cholesterol, and lower the risks od heart disease.Dr. Satyabrata Chatterjee suggests mixing flaxseed with a variety of different foods, such as smoothies and shakes or granola. Additionally, flaxseed oil can be mixed with salad dressings and other foods.

Soy ProteinAccording to research and cardiologists, like Dr. Satyabrata Chatterjee, soy protein can greatly improve heart health. When used as a replacement for protein-rich foods. The fatty acids found in soy protein is excellent for reducing blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as improving arterial health.

Soy protein is excellent for mixing with shakes, pancake mixes, and much more.

Legumes, Barley, and OatsWhen it comes to foods that are heart healthy, Dr. Satyabrata Chatterjee always leans towards legumes, barley, and oats. One of the single most important and highly suggested foods for heart health are those that fall into the category of legumes, barley, and oats. Due to their high fiber content-specifically rich in viscous/soluble fiber- these three categories foods are excellent to incorporate into your diets. Some benefits of legumes, barley, and oats include, but are not limited to decreasing the risk of heart disease and type II diabetes.