Enrich’s Guide to…Eating for a Happy Heart

Your heart is a tireless organ, keeping you alive and well for all of life’s ups and downs. Here at Enrich, we want to help you to nurture your heart’s health through mindful and conscious choices, as the food we eat plays a pivotal role in its wellbeing. In Enrich’s guide to Eating for a Happy Heart, we will delve into habits that support and promote cardiovascular health. We will explore heart-healthy dietary approaches known to improve cholesterol, lower blood pressure and enhance your overall cardiac health. We hope this guide will answer any questions you have about the impact diet can have on your heart health and empower you to cultivate habits that have a positive effect on the future.

Let’s begin with some basics in your heart health.

Cardiovascular disease is a blanket term for conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels. There is not one single cause of CVD, but instead several factors combine to impact your cardiovascular health. Some of these risk factors are non-modifiable, such as age, gender, or family history. However, there are several modifiable factors that can make a significant positive impact if they are addressed. These include cholesterol levels, hypertension, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. It is important to look at the diet as a whole, as no one specific food or nutrient is responsible for your heart health. Overall, we want to emphasise eating foods which are known to be cardio-protective and reduce the amounts of foods which can have an adverse effect on our heart’s health.

How does the food I eat affect my heart health?

There are several mechanisms by which our diet can have a positive or negative effect on our heart health.

Firstly, let’s talk about cholesterol. This molecule has many essential roles within the body, including making up our cells, producing hormones and helping to synthesise vitamin D. Broadly speaking, we can divide cholesterol into two types – LDL, often referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol, and HDL (‘good’) cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can contribute to atherosclerosis (build of plaque in artery walls), increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, while HDL cholesterol actually helps to remove excess cholesterol from the blood stream. The balance of these types of cholesterol is determined by the types of fat we consume.

Secondly, we have to consider blood pressure. High blood pressure can damage our artery walls over time, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. It can also increase strain on the heart, as the heart has to work harder to circulate blood around the body. While several lifestyle factors such as smoking, stress levels and exercise have an effect on our blood pressure, we can also raise or lower it by the foods we eat.

What can I eat to protect my heart?

Overall, your diet should be made up of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, lean sources of protein, and unsaturated fats. Dietary patterns that are made up of these components, such as the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to have long term beneficial effects on cardiac health.

Why fruits and vegetables? Getting our 5 a day (and more if possible) can have huge benefits for our heart health. The fibre contained within fruits and vegetables can help to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, as well as reducing blood pressure. They also contain vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and antioxidants, which can help to counteract the effects of high sodium intake. Try including leafy greens like spinach or kale, broccoli, peas, carrots, onions and peppers, or fruits like blueberries, strawberries, apple, grapes, kiwi, grapefruit, avocado and mango.

Why wholegrains? Again, these foods contain high levels of fibre, which has been shown to reduce both cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Fibre also slows sugar absorption by cells, helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. Try brown rice, wholegrain bread, oats, bulgur, whole-wheat couscous, and barley.

Lean proteins help to keep us fuller and satisfied for longer and contain low levels of saturated fat. Skinless chicken or turkey, lean beef, tofu and legumes like lentils and chickpeas are all good sources of lean protein.

Unsaturated fats primarily come from plant sources. They are found in nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados, and can help to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body. They also can increase levels of HDL cholesterol, as well as reducing inflammation. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and 6, are those mainly found in oily fish. These are particularly beneficial for our health, as they reduce blood triglyceride levels, improve blood flow, and regulate inflammatory responses.

What should I eat less of?

Saturated fats essentially have the opposite effects of those seen with unsaturated fats. These kinds of fats are found mainly in animal products, such as beef, pork, butter, and cheese. Excess consumption of saturated fat has been associated with raised levels of LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol in the body, which over time can contribute to the build-up of plaque in the arteries. You do not need to completely remove saturated fat from your diet, but keeping consumption of red meat, fried foods, and processed meats to a minimum is recommended.

The other main consideration with diet and heart health is sodium. Sodium, which we consume through salt but is also present in foods like processed meats, canned foods, sauces like gravy or soy sauce and pre-made meals, can contribute to raised blood pressure. Sodium is essential to help our kidneys in controlling the water in our blood, but when we consume too much it causes the body to hold onto water in the bloodstream, thus increasing blood pressure. To reduce sodium levels when you are cooking, instead of flavouring only with salt try using chilli, black pepper, herbs and spices, or lemon juice.