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February has us all thinking about hearts. From the heart shaped chocolates on Valentines’ Day to the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Heart month campaign, hearts are certainly front and center. So what do these heart Heart Holidays have in common? Food, like chocolate, can have a major benefit to our heart health – and our hearts certainly need this TLC!

With a new year in full swing and many of us focusing on our health, it may be time to rethink some of those bad habits and make some positive changes for our hearts. Among other things, the foods we eat play a big part in maintaining heart health, and it’s essential that we educate ourselves on ways to improve this very important organ!

With cardiovascular disease (CVD) as the leading cause of global deaths and rates expected to rise, now more than ever, we should pay more attention to keeping our hearts healthy. Heart attacks and strokes are the most common CVDs mainly caused by a blockage of fatty deposits in your blood vessels preventing blood flow to the heart or brain. Key factors that indicate higher risks of heart attack and stroke include: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high levels of low-density lipoprotein (or LDL, the “bad” goopy cholesterol) and obesity or being overweight. All of these indicators result in your heart having to work harder to pump oxygen rich blood around your body to feed trillions of cells.

The World Health Organization recently reported that unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and cigarette smoking is responsible for 80 per cent of all heart attacks. In order to give your heart the loving break it needs, simply take a few of these steps in the right direction:

Quit smoking
I struggled with this but feel that this one is common knowledge and audience of this particular publication are more health conscious. You do mention smoking in paragraph above as a factor.)

Eat good fat
Studies show that Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are vital for growth and maintenance of cells; some decrease blood pressure and make your blood less likely to clot.

Monounsaturated fat is great for cardiovascular health as monounsaturated fats reduce high triglyceride levels associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Mono-rich sources include vegetable oils and foods such as nuts and seeds.

Speaking of seeds, Salbais a terrific way to get your daily EFAs in one serving. Medical research done exclusively on Salba proved that a daily serving can reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation by 40 per cent (C-reactive Protein), and have blood thinning effect of 21 per cent without effecting coagulation (versus fish oil than does effect blood thickness). Salba is an excellent addition to any diet as heart health helper!

Get your GLA
An Increased intake ofamma-linolenic acid (GLA) combined with mega-3 EFAs may help to reduce total LDL cholesterol and substantially reduce risks of heart attacks long term. Luckily, the only food source of GLA on earth, other than mother’s milk, is the very tasty hempseed (or more concentrated version in hemp oil).

Increase fibre
Indigestible carbohydrates are referred to as fibre. Fibre is your heartfelt friend because it decreases the risk of heart disease and lowers LDL cholesterol. Fibre-rich foods include edible skin fruits, green veggies, oats, barley, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds like Salba and hemp.

Be proactive with protein
Protein is used to make the red blood cells that carry oxygen all over your body and to build muscle (most importantly your heart). But unlike animal sources of protein that are high in the bad saturated fats, vegetable sources are your best bet for heart health. Easily digestible vegetable protein with all of the Essential Amino Acids can be easily achieved with 2 tablespoons of hempseeds (10 grams of whole protein), and a daily serving of Salba (2.6 grams of whole protein).

Eat your veggies
Research shows that vegetables like broccoli strengthen and protect the heart because they contain high levels of the phytochemical sulforaphane, which helps your body detoxify. Garlic has a complex array of phytochemicals that can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Foods rich in the antioxidant Vitamin C protect the elastic strength of blood vessels and help keep your circulation pristine.

Lose the extra pounds
On average, overweight and obese people have high LDL levels coupled with low HDL levels. This dangerous combo, along with other weight-driven effects, such as high blood pressure and inflammation, pose a major risk to your heart. Another bonus of exercise is that it helps to reduce total blood cholesterol, lower bad LDL, and raise good HDL levels.

Now that you are equipped with simple steps to guide you to a better heart, it’s time to spring into action and do something good for your health!

Choco-Orange Balls

The dates in this recipe are a great way to get a healthy, sweet taste. These are simple to make and can be easily stored in the fridge or freezer for great protein poppers when needed.

• 3 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup orange juice
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 cups whole cashews or pieces
• 1 cup commercially-roasted hemp seeds
• ¾ cup cocoa
• ½ cup Salba whole seeds

Soak dates, juice and vanilla in a bowl for an hour. In meantime, blend cashews in a food processor until ground and place in a separate bowl. Pulse mix the date mixture in food processor until still a little chunky and not completely smooth. Add date mixture to cashews and add in all other ingredients. Chill mixture in fridge for an hour. Make into quarter size balls and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. Makes about 30 balls. For other tasty and nutritious treats, see Ann’s recipes in her new book: Better Being, available in healthy stores across Canada.