Antioxidants – a Heart Healthy Addition to Your Diet
If you’ve been to your doctor lately and have been told you need to lose weight and go on a low sodium, low fat diet, you’re probably dreading doing that. Yes, you know that for the sake of your heart and circulatory system you have to lower your blood pressure and reduce your cholesterol.
Visions of dried out fish and chicken with lemon juice, no butter thank you, dance in your head. It’s good for you, but about as exciting as eating shoe leather. What you should know is that a few simple changes and additions to your diet can make all the difference in the world in preventing heart disease, lowering your cholesterol and your blood pressure. This dietary magic can be summed up in one word – antioxidants.
Here’re some ways to make a significant addition of antioxidants to your diet and enjoy it at the same time.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, – any kind of berry is a good source of antioxidants. Toss some together in a blender with a banana and some orange juice and you’ve got a drink than your cardiologist would love.
Dark green veggies like broccoli and spinach are in this antioxidant group. Lightly stir fry some spinach in a little olive oil and serve it with your fish. Not spicy enough? Throw in some of everyone’s favorite antioxidant – garlic.
Of course you can take garlic and roast it until it’s soft, chop some tomatoes and use it as a spread on some whole grain French bread. Another antioxidant winner.
There are several foods rich in antioxidants. We’ve just touched on a few – berries, broccoli, spinach, garlic, tomatoes and whole grain bread. We haven’t touched on a favorite antioxidant rich treat. Red wine and dark chocolate.
It’s amazing how something that tastes that good can be so good for you.
