Raspberries for Heart Health

February is HEART HEALTH MONTH

Many social media posts cover the many heart health benefits of exercise. There are many foods that are heart healthy too. This month we will look into heart healthy foods.

Heart Healthy Foods

According to WebMD, top heart healthy foods include:

• Raspberries
• Salmon
• Walnuts
• Fat Free or Low Fat Milk/Yogurt
• Chickpeas
• Oatmeal
• Olive Oil
• Dark Chocolate
• Avocados
• Unsalted almond butter
• Red grapes

 Raspberries

Raspberries are high in heart healthy fiber (8 grams/cup) and provide 25% of your recommended intake for vitamin C and manganese. They are low in fat and have high levels of polyphenols, which help reduce heart disease risk as well as treat digestion issues, diabetes, and
neurodegenerative disease. 

Keep aware of the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen List which includes produce that has the most contamination. People should try to find organic options for items on this list when possible.  Raspberries are not on this list, but other berries like strawberries and blueberries are. 

Raspberry Recipes

I have been a fan of raspberries since my mother took me raspberry picking as a child! Looking back on it, I am not sure how many berries I ate compared to the berries that made it to the container to take home. There is nothing like fresh picked fruit! Other than eating raspberries on their own, I enjoy using them in recipes. One way I enjoy using raspberries to make their flavor the highlight of the dish is to add them to greek yogurt for breakfast. Read my recipe for raspberries, Greek yogurt, and Beet Powder at Beet Powder...ADD THE RED. Below is pictured Greek Yogurt and Raspberries without anything else. You can use plain or vanilla yogurt. Adding a few sprinkles of cinnamon is a great option as it also can reduce heart disease risk.