Heart-healthy Foods to Help Fight Disease

When it comes to eating for your heart, there's one color-coded rule of thumb. Go red!

Early Show Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton showed Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez how to incorporate five powerful, disease-fighting foods into your daily diet.

TOMATOES:- DISH: Fresh tomato sauce over pasta
- rich in lycopene -- one of the MOST concentrated food sources of lyopene, an antioxidant that may help protect you from heart disease
- low calorie - a medium size tomato only has 22 calories
- recommended daily amount for fruits and veggies: at least 4.5 cups a day

BEETS: - DISH: Beet Salad
- provides 19 percent of the daily value for folate
- no saturated fat
- high in folate, manganese and potassium

RED CHILI PEPPERS - DISH: CHILI
- contains an antioxidant (capsaicin)
- may protect blood vessels
- can increase body's metabolism

RED KIDNEY BEANS - DISH: CHILI
- low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium
- good source of fiber - can help you feel full longer, which may help in weight loss
- healthy sub for red meat
- AHA recommends eating at least 4 servings/week of beans, nuts or seeds

POMEGRANATE - DISH: Yogurt sprinkled with seeds
- may help reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries and lower blood pressure
- rich with Vitamin C and antioxidants - which may reduce inflammation and lower BAD cholesterol
- **WARNING: check with your doctors, may have interactions with meds, may not be for people on statins