February is Heart Health Month

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First published at MohrResults.com

Eating for optimal heart health is really no different than eating to get lean. And exercise recommendations are the same too – make time to move regularly (at least 5 hours per week), add 2-3 days of higher intensity, short duration sprints and make sure you’re hitting the weights several times each week.

As for nutrition, here are the top 10 foods you should include regularly if you want to be in optimal health – you can not only decrease the risk of disease, but specific foods can virtually prevent heart disease (and many others as well).

1. Wild salmon (canned or fresh) – at least 12 oz/week
2. Raw nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc) – 1 oz/day
3. Rolled oats (steel cut, whole, or quick oats are best) – 1 serving/day
4. Beans (black, kidney, chick peas, etc) – ½ cup, most days of the week
5. All fruit – at least 5 servings per day
6. All vegetables – at least 5 servings per day
7. Olive oil
8. Barley  -- ½ cup 3-5 times per week
9. Fresh garlic – used regularly in cooking
10. Unsweetened, brewed tea (black, green, or white) – at least 2 cups daily

And there are not only foods (or categories of foods) that can surely boost heart health, but there are others that should can do the opposite and really put you at risk overtime. 

These need to be drastically limited, if not eliminated.

1. Trans fat (listed as partially or fully hydrogenated oil on food labels)
2. Sugar (and it's 30+ aliases, included raw and organic sugars)
3. Fried foods
4. White foods (including breads, cereals, and other carbohydrate based products with 0 grams of fiber)
5. Breakfast cereals with less than 3 grams of fiber and over 10 grams of sugar

Always remember, keep that 90/10 rule in mind – 90% of the time, follow smart eating rules and principles.  The other 10% of the time you can be a bit more lax. 

For more information about healthy eating and incorporating a variety of nutrients in the diet, check out:
Mohr Results - Is Your Grocery Store Making You Fat? DVD	Mohr Results - Is Your Kitchen Making You Fat? DVD!