The heart is one of the most vital organs of the human body that works 24/7. Its role is to pump oxygenated blood to the body’s various organs while distributing the essential nutrients for normal functioning.
Give your heart the care and attention it needs to keep it healthy and pumping. Follow these ten heart-healthy tips to keep your heart strong.
1. Quit Smoking
Smoking not only impacts your health but is also bad for your heart. Smoking is a significant cause of coronary heart disease that can lead to a heart attack. Even secondhand smoke is associated with cardiovascular diseases.
2. Manage Your Weight
The foe to your heart health is excess weight. The cause for it is an unhealthy lifestyle and poor food choices. One should try to stay fit and not let any belly fat accumulate around the waist area, as it may lead to higher blood pressure and poor blood lipid levels that impact heart health. You need to start eating fewer calories and exercise more to make a difference.
3. Take Control of Your Portion Sizes
Pay special heed to what you eat and how much you eat. It is strictly advised not to overload the plate or eat until feeling full. Avoid eating too fast and practice mindful eating. It is important to note that such eating habits not only impact your waistline but your heart health.
4. Stay Physically Active
Zero exercise and constant sitting can make you and your heart dull. It is vital to engage in at least 30 minutes of physical exercise. A few best activities that can boost your heart health is brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling and jumping rope.
5. Stick to a Heart-Healthy Diet
Eat for your heart, that’s right! Stick to a heart-healthy diet that should include these principles.
• Stay within a reasonable daily calorie limit each day.
• Avoid eating red meat, sugary foods and beverages.
• Say no to processed or canned foods.
• Eat fruits and vegetables rich in potassium (bananas, raisins and oranges).
• Include whole grains and low-fat dairy.
• Including fibre rich foods as a fibre-rich diet is linked with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and lower blood pressure.
6. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
It might sound odd. You must be thinking, ‘what does oral hygiene have to do with heart health?’ It may look unrelated, but poor dental hygiene can impact your heart health. It is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss after every meal.
7. Sleep Well
It is vital to sleep for at least eight hours a day every night to keep the heart-healthy. Sleep-deprived individuals are at a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases regardless of their age, weight or smoking habits.
8. Prioritise
Prioritise the following tasks:
• Regular health checkups.
• Keep a tab on blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
• Never skip any medication for blood pressure or diabetes.
9. Reduce the Intake of Salt
Consuming excess salt can impact heart health as salt is known to increase blood pressure. Reduce the intake of salt instead, use herbs and spices to give more flavour to your food.
10. Have Fun, Laugh More and Enjoy Music
Live your life to the fullest! Stay lively, laugh out more, listen to music and stay stress-free. Listening to music can subconsciously affect your mood to bring a positive, calming effect, thereby lowering blood pressure. Similarly, laughing contributes to lowering stress hormones, reducing inflammation and helping maintain good cholesterol levels.
