February is American Heart Health Month at Brevard Medical Equipment.  Having a strong, healthy heart is the key to a long and healthy life. One of the main ways to a healthy heart can be waiting in the refrigerator or pantry right now. Here are some of the best foods you can eat for heart health.

Salmon

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids; the kind that is good for the heart. Salmon has been found to reduce blood pressure and prevent the blood from clotting. Salmon is also rich in carotenoid astaxanthin, a very powerful antioxidant.  Try to eat two servings of this super fish per week, and you may cut your heart attack risk by up to one-third.  Other heart healthy fish include mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines.

Avocado

It’s not just for guacamole anymore! The avocado is packed with monounsaturated fat. These new and trendy super foods can help lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while raising the amount of HDL (the good) cholesterol in your body. They also allow for the absorption of beta-carotene and lycopene.

Chopped or sliced, you can add avocado to almost anything!

Olive Oil

Cook with olive oil, especially virgin and extra virgin olive oils. People in the Mediterranean part of the world have known about this secret for years, but it was slow to get to this country.  Relatively few people from that area died of heart disease. Olive oil is full of monounsaturated fats and it lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease. If you watch any TV cooking shows, you will see the cooks always use olive oil.

Healthy hearts mean healthier lives and healthier lives mean happier and longer lives. Brevard Medical Equipment wants all of our customers to live life to the fullest. See us for CPAP supplies, wheelchairs and other supplies to use when you are home or traveling. We have more to learn about heart-healthy foods in our next blog.