THE SMART BITE: ROOTED IN FAITH

Your Heart and the Foods That Protect It

Heart disease is still the #1 killer in America. And yet, according to the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation, 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable. Let that land for a second.

Your body already makes all the cholesterol it needs. So does every animal, because they need it for their brains too. So when we eat animal foods, we’re just adding more on top of what our bodies already produce. Plants? They don’t need to make cholesterol, so they never do. God built this into our design, and into the animals too. Of course. It made me smile when I learned that.

New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology now recommend people start paying attention to their cholesterol as early as age 30. Not because it’s too late, but because it’s the perfect time. Prevention is most powerful before damage happens.

The good news? Some of the most effective tools for lowering LDL cholesterol, the “bad” kind that builds up in your arteries, aren’t medications. They’re foods. Foods you already know.

YOUR SMALL STEP

Each day, eat one LDL-lowering food. Replace a food that raises LDL, even better.

A bowl of oatmeal for breakfast
Beans or lentils at lunch
A handful of walnuts as a snack
An apple or pear after dinner

Your heart is worth one small addition a day.

Pigs Tips

Foods that lower LDL:

Oats and barley, soluble fiber that binds to cholesterol and removes it from your body
Beans, lentils, and soy, consistently linked to lower LDL; plant sterols block cholesterol absorption
Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds; one handful a day linked to 20% lower cardiovascular risk
Avocado, monounsaturated fats that lower LDL and raise HDL (the good kind)
Fruits high in soluble fiber, apples, pears, citrus
Leafy greens and vegetables, fiber-rich, zero cholesterol, zero saturated fat
Flaxseeds and chia seeds, omega-3s and fiber, both protective for heart health

Foods that raise LDL:

Butter, cheese, and cream
Red meat and processed meats (beef, pork, lamb)
Whole milk
Chicken skin and dark meat
Coconut oil

The American Heart Association, Mayo Clinic, and American College of Cardiology all agree.

Go Deeper

How to Reverse Heart Failure with Diet, NutritionFacts.org. Yes, reverse. Dr. Greger breaks down the evidence.
High Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia), Harvard Health. Their guidance: get the majority of daily calories from plant sources, especially fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

<img decoding="async" src= Sautéed spinach with pumpkin seeds and flax

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Sauteed Spinach with Pumpkin Seeds and Flax

Every ingredient here is working for your heart. When topped with lentils, these sauteed greens are one of the most protective combinations of whole plant foods you can put in a bowl. And it comes together in minutes.

BUILD YOUR BOWL

PIGS’ SCRIPTURE AND SMILES

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

Pretty good advice. Take care of your heart, in every sense of the word.