As the new year approaches, you may be considering your resolutions to have a good year. There’s a reason that adopting healthy habits like eating less processed foods and exercising regularly are stereotypical solutions. These are important for maintaining heart health. Promoting your heart health is one of the smartest things you can do. Doing so can keep you strong and extend your life. Fortunately, experts at the Cleveland Clinic say heart disease is preventable. Here are his four ways to keep the ticker strong in 2023 and beyond.
Sprinkle with this spice.
Adding cloves to baked apples, mulled cider, and holiday ham doesn’t just tickle your palate. An Indian study found that people who consumed 250 milligrams of the spice daily had significantly lower cholesterol levels. Cloves are rich in eugenol, a compound that fights cell-damaging oxidative stress that contributes to elevated cholesterol.
Wrap yourself in cocoa.
British researchers have found that drinking hot cocoa or enjoying chocolate every day can lower your risk of heart disease. The flavanol compounds in chocolate prevent fat from raising blood pressure and clogging arteries. Tip: Choose natural cacao, not “processed in Holland”. The alkali treatment used in Dutch processing significantly reduces the flavanol content of cocoa. And check out this decadent dairy-free hot chocolate recipe to warm your body from the inside out.
material
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- mini marshmallows for garnish
direction:
- Mix ingredients in a large pot over medium heat
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the chocolate is melted.
- Serve and top with mini marshmallows
count your blessings.
According to researchers at the University of California, San Diego, when you commit to taking time to reflect on what (and whom) you are grateful for each day, your heart health improves. Researchers explain that focusing on the positive things in life can reduce inflammation, which can damage blood vessels, and combat the stress that causes heart disease.
talk at the table
Enjoying a friendly chat with a loved one between New Year’s dinners will do your ticker a favor. Talking slows down your movements when you’re eating, which prevents you from overloading your body with too many calories at once. This makes them less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a condition that doubles the risk of heart disease, than people who eat faster, report Japanese researchers.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
