There’s a reason we focus on more than exercise at Egan’s Bootcamp in Honolulu, HI. One of the most important factors for improving your health is the food you consume. A diet high in salt, processed meat, and sugar is harmful to your health and dramatically affects your cardiovascular system. To function at its best, the heart needs specific nutrients. Choosing foods that boost heart health and eliminating those that harm it can make a huge difference in your longevity.
It’s all about a healthy balance.
Omega-6 is beneficial to your health and so is omega-3. The key to good health is a good balance between the two. While many people disagree on the exact ratio, it’s somewhere between a 4 to 1 and a 1 to 4 balance with omega-6 being the first number and omega-3 the second. The American diet today is 25 to 1 with omega-6 the 25. Many people believe it’s even worse than that. Why does it matter? Too much omega-6 prevents the body from metabolizing omega-3. That can cause inflammation. Increased inflammation causes an increase in cholesterol, an increased risk for heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Choosing colorful vegetables and fruit can help improve your heart.
Cherries, pomegranates, beets, and red kidney beans all have one thing in common. They all contain anthocyanin. It’s what gives them the red color. Anthocyanin helps lower bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol. It keeps arteries more flexible. Yellow and orange veggies and fruit contain carotenoids that reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Green vegetables, such as kale, lettuce, or broccoli, contain nutrients to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. If you have a plate filled with a rainbow of colors, you’ll reduce the risk of heart disease.
There’s a reason people soak their feet in Epsom salts.
Soaking in Epsom salts—magnesium sulfate—helps relieve tight muscles. The magnesium in the salts absorbs through the large pores in the soles of the feet. Magnesium helps the muscles relax, including the heart muscle. Lack of it can cause irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis, asthma, and mental disorders. You don’t have to soak in a tub high in magnesium. You can get magnesium from raw spinach, dark chocolate, and avocados.
- Eating food high in antioxidants can help protect the heart from inflammation. Inflammation can damage arteries and vessels. Lowering inflammation reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis. Asian pears, bananas, carrots, and bell peppers contain antioxidants.
- You can get vitamin D from the sun in Honolulu. In northern areas, that’s not true all year. Getting vitamin D from egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver helps. Vitamin D reduces the chances of heart disease and boosts immunity.
- Food high in fiber helps regulate blood sugar. It helps regulate weight and reduces cholesterol. All those things boost heart health.
- Beans provide a lot of benefits for your heart. They’re high in fiber. They contain folate which reduces the risk of heart disease. Depending on the beans, some contain vitamins A, B, C, and lutein that fight inflammation and prevent hypertension.
For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!
