In a world where a hectic schedule and bad dietary habits is seeing younger people approaching doctors with cardiac problems, awareness needs to be generated regarding heart problems and ways in which to avoid them. By concentrating on vital issues such as Food, Exercise, Rest and frequent health check-ups one can avoid or in the least delay heart disease.
A human heart works tirelessly to circulate blood throughout the body and the modern sedentary lifestyle coupled with habits such as smoking and drinking reduces the lifespan of the heart. Modifying ones lifestyle and diet can help battle heart disease even in a person with a family history of heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.
Top 10 tips to a healthy heart are given below:
- Diet: Consuming a diet which is considered ‘heart-healthy’ is the easiest and best method in which one can combat cardiac problems. One should go easy on food rich in fats, sugar and salt. Organic food rich in vitamins, omega acids, and antioxidants such as beta carotene, helps reduce cholesterol and increases the level of high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol. Prevention is always better than cure and including such foods helps avert heart problems.
- Avoid Smoking: People who smoke are at a far greater risk of having heart attacks than non-smokers. People who have quit smoking have found that they feel much healthier and less out of breath within the first one year of quitting. Giving up cigarettes is a small price to pay in order to avoid cardiac problems.
- Avoid Alcohol: Excessive drinking too weakens heart muscles. It leads to weight gain and increases blood pressure. One must carefully monitor alcohol intake to reduce risk.
- Regular Exercise: Regular exercise enhances oxygen intake and stalls clogging of the cardio-vascular system. Half an hour of cardio exercises such as walking, swimming, jogging and bicycling are excellent ways to a healthy heart.
- Avoid Dieting: Although it is true that losing weight and coming sown to ones optimum weight is mandatory to amplify overall health, however, excessive dieting can cause more damage to ones heart. Bingeing on processed foods such as chips, etc and dieting excessively can cause an imbalance in the electrolyte levels in the body. This slackens heart muscles causing harm in the long run.
- Heart supplements: Cardio boosting supplements work towards strengthening the heart and reduce swelling of the arterial wall. These supplements are beneficial for people with hectic schedules who might not be able to exercise everyday.
- Checking Family History: Checking family history helps recognize early signs of cardiac problems and helps one take preventive measures.
- Manage Stress Levels: In a stress filled world one must take strong steps to manage stress levels. Meditation, Yoga and simple breathing exercises will help reduce stress and keep heart problems at bay.
- Monitoring Weight: Excessive weight or obesity is one of the major causes of heart disease in the world. Excess weight can cause life threatening conditions and is detrimental for people who already have a heart problem. One can control weight by exercising regularly and eating small meals frequently.
- Regular Visits to the Doctor: Regular visits to the doctor to get blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked can help prevent heart disease.
Heart Disease as a health problem is weighing on many people across the globe and by bringing about these dietary and lifestyle changes one can fight cardiac problems effectively.
