Living a healthy life helps keep your cholesterol and blood pressure and sugar in a normal range and reduces the risk of heart attack and other heart diseases.
To keep your heart healthy, there are some easy steps to follow
- Eat the right food
- Do some exercise
- Less stress
- Keep your weight in a healthy range
- Don’t smoke
The overall health of the body revolves around the health of the heart, considering the heart as the center of overall health. Adapting a healthy lifestyle at any age lower the risk of heart diseases and stroke. There is no age limit to take care of your heart. You can make your healthy choices from a younger age as well.
The best options for making your heart healthy are exercising and healthy food choices. There are some other things you can do to reduce the risk of heart diseases. Smoking, obesity, family history of heart diseases increases the risk of heart diseases.
However, you can reduce the risk of heart diseases by changing your lifestyle, even if you have a family history of heart diseases.
Path to improved health
It is in your hand to take responsibility and adopt a healthy lifestyle to avoid the risks of heart diseases. Some people quickly adapt such lifestyle and make their heart healthy by keeping them fit by doing all necessary things required for the purpose. Whereas many people find it very difficult to change their lifestyle. But, they mostly changed their lifestyle after being diagnosed with heart diseases like high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
Just add one good aspect in your life to begin the change, with the time add another aspect and then continue. In this, you can also gain confidence that will bring more energy to you with less stress. Eating healthy diet and doing regular exercise are the two basic things that boost your mind, increase energy, and reduce stress.
Healthy eating
A balanced diet is a key to healthy living. Moreover, what should be included in a balanced diet is an important question. Fruits, nuts, whole grains, vegetables and lean protein are essential constituents of a balanced diet.
Always try to eat healthy and control your cravings for unhealthy foods. By eating vegetables, must keep the color of vegetables in your mind. The color of vegetables indicates how much minerals and vitamins you are getting from a colorful plate of red, orange, dark green vegetables.
Avoid processed foods, mainly those that are ready to eat, like potato chips. Also, try to consume less sodium. Also, minimize the consumption of soda and energy drinks, as they contain a high amount of sugar that shows a negative impact on your health. Replace soda drinks with water, water also detoxifies your body and help to eliminate wastes. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water proves to be beneficial.
How does what I eat affect my heart?
Weight, the health of organs, hormones all are affected by the food you eat. The heart being a vital organ also affected by the type of food. Healthy eating can lower the risk of heart diseases and stroke.
Positive attitude
Stay positive in order to keep a healthy lifestyle. Plan your meals, schedule of exercise with positive intentions. Also, stay positive and cut down unhealthy habits, like smoking, eating fattening meals, etc. Also, give yourself credit, for the betterment you observe by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Weight assessment
Obesity and overweight look are the signs of an unhealthy person. Weight assessment can be done by measuring the body mass index. Your BMI indicates your body fat based on weight and height. Greater the BMI higher will be the chances of high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. It also increases the risk of gallbladder disease and liver disease.
Healthy food choices, along with exercise, is the best way to lose weight. Losing 5% to 10% of body weight can minimize the chances of stroke and heart attack.
Do exercise and be active
To live healthy and keep your heart healthy, you must be active. All you need is to get up and move. Do some exercise. Moderate exercise is enough to keep your heart healthy and fit. There is no need for a gym or buying expensive equipment. You can walk, dance and do some sit-ups and push-ups in your home.
Exercise strengthens the heart. The aerobic exercise shows a direct impact on the heart. Regular exercise provides sufficient blood to the heart to keep it healthy and prevent from the development of plaque that can reduce the flow of blood to the heart and causes a heart attack.
What’s the best type of exercise for my heart?
Aerobic exercise is best for the heart, as they increase the heart rate, causes you to breath more deeply and makes your heart to work harder to pump the blood. Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, and jogging are one of the best aerobic exercises for the heart.
Know the numbers
Every individual must be knowledgeable about his or her blood sugar level, cholesterol level, and blood pressure. Knowing about your health number keep you updated and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Must check your blood pressure regularly, as it has no symptoms. Or, if you have a family history of heart disease or you smoke then also undergo cholesterol level screening and check your blood pressure regularly. Read More about Dr. Koshy Read Your Numbers article.
Stop smoking
Smoking leads to many health problems. It causes lung diseases, cancer, and also harmful to the heart. Smoking damaging the lining of arteries and leads to a heart attack. Nowadays, nicotine patches and nicotine gums are available that helps to quit smoking.
Stop stressing
Stress and blood pressure are interlinked. Blood pressure usually increases with an increase of stress. The level of stress hormones elevated in the body due to chronic stress exposure, which is not a good sign for body and heart.
Management of stress is critical for the heart. Breathing exercises, medications are an effective way to manage stress. Some people find unhealthy ways like smoking, drinking alcohol to cope with stress. That is the wrong approach.
Make your efforts to keep your heart healthy by sticking yourself you healthy eating habits, exercises, knowing about the number and to manage the stress. If you didn’t succeed much, then you can see your doctor for further guidance. Also, regularly visit your doctor for regular health screening. If you diagnosed with any of heart disease, then your doctor prescribes you a treatment along with lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy and fit.
Call now (586) 698-1200 to schedule an appointment with a Cardiologist in Sterling Heights, Washington Township or Rochester Hills, Michigan.
