10 Foods for a Healthy Heart
Your heart does so much for you...take care of your heart by adding these 10 foods to your diet!
1. Leafy green vegetables- Kale and spinach are a great source of vitamin K, which protects the arteries and promotes proper blood clotting.
2. Berries- Strawberries, blueberries and black raspberries fight inflammation and stress with antioxidants and decreases the chance of heart disease.
3. Whole Grains- Brown rice, oats and quinoa are high in fiber which helps reduce LDLs (bad cholesterol).
4. Avocados- The main fatty acid is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. This is also the predominant fatty acid in olive oil, associated with various health benefits.
5. Fatty Fish- Salmon, trout, herring and mackerel are an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Studies show that people who eat fish tend to be much healthier, with a lower risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and all sorts of common diseases.
6. Healthy Nuts- Almonds, walnuts, macadamia and other nuts are high in protein, vitamin E and magnesium which lowers the risk of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
7. Beans- Beans contain resistant starch which helps aid in digestion by promoting a healthy gut.
8. Tomatoes- They are loaded with lycopene- a natural plant pigment with powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals.
9. Seeds- Chai, hemp and flax seeds are great sources of heart healthy nutrients and Omega 3 fatty acids!
10. Dark chocolate- Tasty and healthy! Not only can dark chocolate improve brain function, it's also rich in antioxidants that have potent biological activity, and can lower blood pressure and protect LDL cholesterol in the blood from becoming oxidized
"A2 Physical Therapy is very professional. What I liked the most is that they are very thorough with their assessments and personalizing exercises/treatment according to my pain/limitations/injuries. I really do feel stronger and feel confident to get even stronger! Everyone has a super positive attitude which helps with motivation. Thank You!"
− A. Mun
"I started at A2 about mid-July and I am in the 9:00 am Friday class. A2 has opened me up to new levels of a workout. There is no “golden Standard”. Everyone goes to the best of their abilities. I feel like I can workout without being judged. In my class there are my mom, dad, aunt Lori, aunt Amber, my cousin Mandy and our newest addition Randy. Kristi is always encouraging us to give our all. She is never telling us that we aren’t doing the workout right. Instead she helps us grow by kindly telling us if we do it this way we will get more out of it and she always helps us get there. I decided to do cross country this year and I feel like I can go and be successful and strong because of my A2 workout. Thank you so much for helping me grow in my health."
− Genevieve
"Last Sunday I played full court basketball for the first time in 15 years. I will qualify the contest by saying it happened on a court just out of the back door of an elder care center. The teams consisted of a 7 year old, an d8 year old, a young woman in flip-flops (I played in sandals), a woman who proudly stated she was 55 years old (I retorted with my age of 65), and a couple of other young guys that really played well. I ran the court, I played defense, blocked shots, made shots (missed a lot), got lots of rebounds, and talked a lot of smack while playing with a group of people a lot younger than me. I even made a behind the back-twisting fall-away shot, then fell and tumbled on the court. I jumped up and continued to play, and we played for about 45 minutes.
I attribute my ability to play this game that I love so much again to the excellent training receive from Kristy who is a trainer at A2 Physical Therapy. I have worked out and trained since I was very young. I played high school basketball, baseball, and I ran track. I spent 20 years in the Army with all the training requirements associated with that occupation. I played on community and city leagues, and I have trained with weights for many years. The training program Kristy has devised for me at A2 is rigorous, thorough, diverse, fun, challenging, and focused. She prepares workout plans that are age and fitness level appropriate. My work out now is so much different then it was when I first started. She both trains me individually and as a couple. I run, jump, stretch, lift, balance, squat, push, pull, and every other movement you can imagine. I look forward to going to my workout every time. Kristy is completely in charge of every workout. I am retired, and my training at A2 allows me to fill the need to accomplish something positive every day I work out. I am doing physical activity with ease that I would not have thought I would be able be able to accomplish at the age of 65 such as hiking on Mt Rainer and running 4 days per week. Kristy and A2 have really changed my life…"
− William