Top 7 Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy And Safe
While it is true that most of us know that a good diet accompanied by a good exercise routine can keep our heart healthy, few of us put those tips into practice. Eating a balanced diet and staying fit can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Here are ten tips you should remember in your daily habits that will help to keep your heart healthy as efficiently as possible. Even if you better just one or two of these areas, you can be less prone to heart disease. However, remember that the more tips you follow on this list, the better your lifestyle and keep your heart healthy.
Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy
1. Follow Balanced Diet
Healthy eating habits can help reduce three main factors involved in heart disease: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess weight. Good habits for the heart include moderating daily salt and alcohol intake. In addition, the diet should be based mainly on fruits, vegetables, cereals, fish, and lean meats. Thus, it is possible to reduce cardiovascular risk with just a few changes in the diet.
Doctors are recommended to reduce the consumption of fat and cholesterol and the fat that comes from olive oil, nuts, and oily fish for its benefits to the cardiovascular system. Fiber intake (whole grains, legumes, fruits) is also very important.
2. Exercise Regularly
Staying physically active is associated with reducing the frequency and mortality from cardiovascular diseases by improving the functioning of the cardiorespiratory system and having a beneficial effect on overweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, it reduces the chances of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction. It has remarkable psychological effects, which help control stress and increase mental well-being.
3. Limit Alcohol
Consuming alcohol moderately (one to two glasses of red wine a day) has been linked to a decrease in heart disease. However, it is also proven that alcohol abuse is dangerous to health. Many studies have described a relationship between excessive alcohol consumption and the appearance of heart diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to moderate its intake and limit it to a glass of red wine to accompany meals.
4. Quit Smoking
Using tobacco is one of the main causes of heart problems. Smoking harms the cardiovascular system, increases the risk of thrombosis, and causes a decrease in the caliber of the coronary arteries, making it difficult to rinse the heart. Therefore, it is compulsory to avoid tobacco consumption and passive smoking too permanently.
5. Perform Pleasurable Activities And Eliminate Stress
Having a stressful life can affect the heart. It does not mean stress causes cardiovascular disease but can worsen it. You can have a heart attack during stress, as your heart speeds up and your blood pressure is higher. When this happens, our heart needs more oxygen.
It is important to carry out relaxing and pleasant activities, such as walking, practicing yoga, etc. And balance work life with spaces that allow us to enjoy free time and disconnect from daily work.
6. Maintain Optimal Weight
Several studies have shown that obesity aggravates heart problems due to the overexertion to which the heart is subjected, predisposing hypertension, coronary heart disease, and strokes.
It favors the appearance of type 2 diabetes in addition to other diseases such as pulmonary and osteoarticular diseases that are also affected by the overload to which they are subjected.
Approximately 40% of the incidence of coronary heart disease is attributed to a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25. That is why each person must know their BMI and act accordingly, especially if they are older than 20.
7. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is one of the best tips to keep your heart healthy. Suppose you do not have good rest habits, no matter how old or your medical and family history. In that case, you will have a greater probability of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Make your bedtime a priority.
It is important to consult a specialist in cardiology to diagnose any problem related to cardiovascular diseases and to be able to start a treatment that helps you control the symptoms.
When consulting your cardiologist, tries to keep a record of your pain with a detailed description of the symptoms, duration, and what you think triggered them. Also, mention any medications you are taking.
