Heart disease is now the number-one health threat facing women. However, dozens of studies show that keeping your heart in good shape can be surprisingly easy!
Have a pomegranate shot.
This juice is more effective than red wine at shielding your heart against several different dangers and sipping just 1 oz. each day cuts your risk of dangerous blood clots and your production of bad artery-clogging LDL cholesterol.
Pomegranate gets its power from the same pigments that give it its color, polyphenols, which thin the blood and help your liver break down cholesterol. Pomegranate contains another important nutrient, ellagic acid, which is so great at strengthening two skin-supporting proteins (collagen and elastin), it slows skin aging.
Eat roasted peanuts.
Eating a half-cup of humble peanuts daily proves your heart disease risk will drop. Peanuts are a top source of monounsaturated fats, which your liver needs to make artery-clearing HDL cholesterol.
Get a houseplant.
Just keeping your heart pumping slowly and calmly is enough to lower your lifetime risk of heart disease. Looking at greenery reduces your level of the stress hormone epinephrine, which reduces your heart rate five points or more. Spend several minutes each day strolling in a park or in any other green space, and your heart rate will drop as much as 15 points.
Listen to soft music.
Listening to relaxing background music for 30 minutes twice a day can decrease the number of stress hormones circulating in your system. Keeping your blood pressure in check helps prevent damage to artery walls and reduces plaque buildup, keys to ensuring that nutrient-rich blood flows easily to all your organs, including your heart. Tune your radio to an easy listening station or listen to calming background music for free online.
Up your intake of herbs & spices
Cinnamon, thyme, cayenne, cloves, garlic… Adding any of these to your recipes can transform an “okay” meal into something delicious and cut your heart disease risk. The antioxidants in these flavor enhancers block the formation of harmful inflammation inside blood vessels while also reining in the amount of artery-clogging triglycerides that your liver churns out. The recommended dose: 1-1/2 tsp. Daily.