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Hal Higdon's 7-7-70 Quest - 10 Favorite Foods

Want to load your diet with heart-healthy foods? Runner's World columnist Liz Applegate recommends the following as her ten favorite foods:

1. Dark Chocolate: Contains polyphenols that help keep platelets from sticking together, forming blood clots which may lead to a heart attack or stroke

2. Dark Beer: Contains phytochemicals that prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and glomming onto artery walls

3. Green or Black Tea: Contains antioxidant phytochemicals to prevent cholesterol from damaging the arteries

4. Almonds: Contains Vitamin E, shown to reduce risk for heart disease

5. Tomatoes: Contain lycopene, another antioxidant phytochemical that prevents LDL cholesterol from damaging artery walls

6. Flaxseed: Contains Omega-3 fats, which lower blood fat levels

7. Tuna in a can: Contains Vitamin B12, which lowers homocysteine levels; also good source of Omega 3

8. Avocado: Contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, shown to lower blood cholesterol levels

9. Oranges: Contains a bioflavonoid called limonene (particularly in the white, fuzzy veins) that prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing

10. Asparagus: Contains folic acid which helps clear artery-damaging homocysteine from the circulation.

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