February is the month of celebrating love and kindness, including how you treat your body. It’s also American Heart Month, which means it’s the best time of the year to take some inventory on how you treat your heart with the choices you make each day, starting with the foods and drinks you choose daily.
We’ve previously shared smart choices you can make to care for your heart, and we want to give you a mini refresher on those tips, plus share some exciting news about how Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese can both be part of your heart health journey.
5 Tips for Heart Health Support:
Here are five choices that can help support overall heart health that each go a long way towards keeping you healthy for years to come.
- Eating a wide array of whole foods, including fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and other lean proteins. All of these are rich in either fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other components that contribute to a strong healthy body that supports optimal heart health. Choosing whole foods instead of highly processed foods also helps you keep your sodium in check below the upper limit of 1500 mg per day.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of some form of activity per day, even if it’s just a walk around the block!
- Ensure you get enough sleep, or at least 7-8 hours. Check out our post here on how to support your sleep if you need some extra care.
- Manage stress as much as possible. Gentle activities like walking and staying active, keeping to a regular sleep/wake routine, strength training when possible, and managing your tasks each day all help with keeping stress at bay and keep your heart healthy at the same time. If you need help from others in your inner support circle, it’s important to ask for it when necessary.
- Stop smoking if you do, and keep a very low intake of alcohol within a week (1-2 glasses) or better yet, none at all. It’s been shown these 2 factors are two of the most detrimental things any of us can do to our hearts (and overall health) long term.
These five tips alone will help you create a holistic approach to heart health for the long haul. But wait, there’s more! Let us share with you how Lifeway Kefir can contribute even more benefits for overall heart health, plus check out some of our favorite recipes below.
How Cultured Dairy Contributes to a Heart Healthy Diet
Cultured dairy adds an important contribution to overall health, including heart health. Including healthy dairy options, especially fermented/cultured dairy products such as Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese, into your daily diet at least once or twice per day makes for a stronger, healthier body and immune system. Calcium found in dairy, like Lifeway Kefir, contributes to lower blood pressure levels and is naturally occurring (not supplemented or added in). The live probiotics found in Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese also help support lower blood sugar levels, which contributes to overall heart health.
In general, dairy consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease in studies, as indicated by its starring role in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, also known as the DASH diet. The Mediterranean diet is another well-documented diet that includes lots of fiber-rich plant-based foods, lean proteins, and regular consumption of high-quality dairy, such as fermented dairy like Lifeway Kefir and Farmer Cheese.
How Lifeway Kefir Supports Heart Health
Research indicates that kefir might have an extra edge in further reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease thanks to its live and active probiotic cultures and the unique peptides produced during the long fermentation process. Research has also shown that kefir has a higher antioxidant capacity as compared to non-fermented dairy products to reduce the risk of harmful free radicals. In addition, further studies have shown kefir may be associated with a reduction in lipid profiles, inflammation markers, and homocysteine levels, along with a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Kefir is also a source of potassium, magnesium, and calcium – all minerals that promote normal blood pressure. Blood pressure is important for supporting your heart, along with many other health factors. The probiotics in kefir may also modulate the gut microbiome to help manage trimethylamine N-oxide levels (TMA), a metabolite that raises the risk of heart disease when increased levels in the blood occur.
Our mission at Lifeway Kefir is to support you on your health journey by making the highest quality fermented dairy kefir and farmer cheese out there. Our products contain live cultures that are excellent for overall microbiome health and immune system support. Check out three of our favorite heart-healthy recipes below where we share how to use our kefir and farmer cheese.
Heart Healthy Recipes Your Gut Will Love
1. Febru-berry Toast
This is a quick and healthy toast recipe you can make in minutes during a hurried morning. It also makes a great post-workout snack or nightcap treat. Berries are packed with heart-healthy fiber and antioxidants that support a healthy, strong heart. Lifeway Farmer Cheese contains live probiotics, and it has no salt or sugar added, which makes it a game-changer for your heart compared to high-sodium cheeses like cottage cheese or yogurts filled with high amount of sugar. Get the recipe here!
2. Beet Avocado Tomato Toast
Beets, avocados, and tomatoes are three power-packed foods your heart loves. Each contain compounds that support healthy blood flow, healthy cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and more. Lifeway Farmer Cheese in this toast is a reduced-fat cheese that’s cultured to support gut health and contains lean protein your body can easily digest and put to best use. This tasty toast recipe also features micro-greens, which are wonderful sources of heart-supporting compounds and important nutrients for heart health like potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C, and more. Get this easy toast recipe here!
3. Berry Blast Smoothie
Lifeway Kefir and berries star in this heart-loving smoothie filled with probiotics, fiber, heart-healthy vitamins and minerals, and lean protein. It makes a terrific easy breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up that will show your heart as much love as it does your gut health. Get this delicious smoothie recipe here!
See all our recipes here, find us in a store near you or shop online, and be sure to keep up with our latest and greatest over at Instagram so you don’t miss a heart-healthy beat!