February is officially the month for love. We spoil our loved ones with gifts of flowers, chocolates and meals out and profess our love on heart-shaped cards. But how many of us really think of our hearts? Heat disease accounts for nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide. Diet plays a major role and can seriously impact our heart health, but how many of us know what we should be eating to keep our hearts healthy? Fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale should be part of your everyday diet, but there are lots of other foods that we don’t normally think about. Here are the top heart-healthy foods to love your hear this February.
Olives
Olives and olive oil are a staple in the Mediterranean diet. The heart-healthy benefits of olives are well documented. Olives are packed with antioxidants and vitamin E which relieve inflammation and decrease the risk of chronic disease.
Olives are rich in monosaturated fatty acids which is associated with heart health. They are high in oleic acid which is used in the preventing and treating hypertension. They are also packed with fibre and minerals including iron, copper, calcium and sodium.
Olives were our first passion at Medfood and we continue to develop fresh and new marinated ranges to delight your palate. In fact our Bella Napoli Olives won the 2022 Quality food Award for best delicatessen product of the year.
Olives are so easy to incorporate into your everyday diet. Add a handful to your salads, use them for snacks or add them to food. Aim to eat around 10 large olives a day for maximum heart health.
Walnuts
Walnuts are a great source of fibre and micronutrients like magnesium, copper and manganese. A 2009 study showed that walnuts can help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, hence lowering the risk of heart disease.
Walnuts, like any nut, are high in healthy fats, but fats never the less. The World Health Organization therefore recommends adding a handful of walnuts to our diet every day. This means between 10 to 15 walnuts. Visit our nuts page to see our range of raw nuts.
Dark Chocolate
You don’t have to give up chocolate to love your heart this February. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and the best chocolates to choose are the ones that consist of 70% cocoa content. Additionally they are loaded with nutrients such as iron, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.
Dark chocolate contains fatty acids what come from the cocoa. These fatty acids contain oleic acid which has been shown in research to be a heart-healthy fat and is also found in olive oil.
At Medfood, we offer a wide range of dark chocolate covered nuts giving you the double benefit of dark chocolate and healthy nuts. Aim to eat around 30g of dark chocolate every day. The higher the cocoa contents the better.
Garlic
For centuries, garlics has been used as a natural remedy to treat a variety of illnesses. Recently research has found the potent properties of garlic go even further and help to improve heart health. This is thanks to allicin, a compound found in garlic believed to have a multitude of therapeutic effects.
A recent review of 39 different studies on garlic found that on average it reduced cholesterol by 17mg and bad cholesterol by 9mg. Not only does it reduce cholesterol, but garlic also helps to reduce the build up of blood clots, reducing the risk of stroke.
Garlic is best consumed raw. Crush the garlic and let it sit for a few minutes to build up its allicin, maximising its health benefits. At Medfood we have a range of garlic products that bring you convenience as well as the health benefits. Our range includes pickled garlic cloves, garlic cloves with herbs and also with chilli.
Almonds
Almonds are incredibly nutrient-dense, boasting a long list of vitamins and minerals that are crucial to heart health. They are also a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fibre, two important nutrients that can help protect against heart disease.
Almonds also have a powerful effect on cholesterol, increasing good cholesterol and reducing plaque build up in our arteries.
Remember that almonds are high in calories, so do measure your portions and aim to eat about 10 to 15 raw almonds a day.
We hope you have found this blog useful. If you would like to discuss your business needs or learn more about our range of products, call our sales team on 020 8965 6528 or contact us for more information.
