Top five foods for keeping your heart healthy

To achieve a happy and healthy life, it's important to include heart-healthy foods in one's daily routine so as to keep diseases at bay.

Keeping World Heart Day in mind, which is observed on September 29, to keep your heart healthy include salmon, which is high on Omega 3 and munch walnut to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease, says an expert.

Saumya Shree, food specialist at BiteClub.in, a food-tech-logistics start-up based in Gurgaon, has shared top five heart healthy foods.

* Salmon: Loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, this cold water fish has lots of health benefits for the human heart. Having this oily fish two times a week is the best way to keep the heart in fine fettle. It's heavenly taste and easy-to-cook nature are other reasons why including salmon in one's weekly food routine is not a hassle.

* Blueberries: Rich in fibre and vitamin C, blueberry is a disease-fighting food that combats heart ailments effectively. Have them for breakfast or with a wholegrain meal during lunch, mix them with other fruits and make a fruit salad or have them raw, blueberries are the best option to prevent heart diseases.

* Walnuts: Munch on at least five ounces of walnuts every week to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. Packed with mono-saturated fats, these nuts reduce one's low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increase the high density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that is good for health. These are also rich in Omega-3 fats.

* Oatmeal: Rich in a kind of fibre that cuts the LDL cholesterol, oats are a great source of nutrients and energy. To keep the cholesterol level in control, one and a half cups of cooked oatmeal, containing the required amount of beta-glucan, keeps the heart in the pink of health.

* Dark chocolate: Packed with flavanols, dark chocolate keeps the blood pressure in control and averts clotting of blood. Besides this, it also serves as an antioxidant that prevents the pile-up of unhealthy cholesterol. Dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content has minimum sugar levels, making it an ideal food choice to prevent cardiovascular disease.