by C.M. Tucker

Created on: February 06, 2011   Last Updated: May 27, 2012

Since the most common heart problems involve valves and arteries, the main issues then are hypertension and atherosclerosis (artery thickening).  Some problems can be congenital, but most are from poor diet and exercise habits.

Through the hardships of poverty, war and disasters, people have learned to make do with cheap and highly processed recipes and commercially produced foods.  The heart circulates the blood. Processed foods that introduce toxins like MSG to the blood also introduce it to the heart.

A healthy diet for hearts includes foods and beverages as well as additional elements to keeping the heart healthy.  Heart Healthy foods and what to avoid along with exercise and some attention to our pH balance (through food) forms a lifestyle regimen that promotes overall health as well as cardiovascular health.

Always consult one’s health care practitioner before starting new supplements or diets.  Nearly all health conditions can benefit from dietary changes. 

Foods that we’ve learned to love are often too processed and are acid forming (pH).  This means learning to eat foods in new ways to make them interesting.  A Vita-mixer is a healthy way to cook without added oils for example.  Raw and other food processing methods can also reduce value loss through over cooking in traditional ways.

Here is a list of foods for a healthy heart:  Most web sites indicate fresh produce, whole (actually whole) grains and lean meat.  Those foods specifically include coarse or steel-cut oats, non-GM salmon (GM stands for genetically modified),  (most fresh produce) avocadoes, extra virgin cold pressed olive oil (uncooked mostly), most nuts (there is controversy about raw vs. fermented, etc.) in moderation, berries, (preferably fresh since there is some speculation that freezing them makes them acid forming instead of alkaline forming when fresh), Legumes (beans and lentils… which also taste good in stews), spinach (good when added to salads), flaxseed (good ground up and a pinch added to maple syrup flavored oatmeal), skinless poultry, egg whites or substitutes, skim milk (1 percent), lean meats, red wine (about 5 or 6 ounces a day), tuna (in moderation due to mercury concerns in sea-foods), brown rice (white rice is just a starch and is acid forming),  dark raw chocolate from a trusted source like Xocai (Cocoa.), and black teas (boil well to insure no toxins are left from the fermenting process. 

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