Health Coach Corner by Maria Hicks

Certain key foods can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease. If you aren’t eating any of the seven foods listed below… Try adding some today! Better yet, get all seven into your diet a few times a week. Remember: create your weekly shopping list and add variety! Look for recipes online (if you don’t love to cook … no worries… there are lots of simple recipes you can find online!)

1. Oatmeal: A review of 67 studies showed that diets high in soluble fiber, like the kind in oatmeal, decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol
2. Salmon: Oily fish are high in heart-protective omega-3 fats
3. Nuts: go for walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts, which boast good-for-you mono and polyunsaturated fats
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A huge body of research confirms that its monounsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease
5. Berries: They lower inflammation and have a host of other cardiovascular perks
6. Beans: In one study, people who ate legumes – like beans and lentils – at least four times a week had a 22% lower risk of heart disease than people who ate them less than once per week
7. Broccoli: This – and other green veggies like kale and spinach – have anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects, a 2008 study shows