28 Jan How You Can Take Care of Your Heart?
When you take care of your heart, your whole body benefits. When your heart is healthy, all aspects of your physical health will be there. A healthy heart means a better quality of life and allows us to work to the best of our ability.
Here are five effective ways to improve and maintain the health of your heart:
1. Eat right
Eating the vitamins and minerals your heart needs provides the foundation for a healthy heart. Foods that support heart health by lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and reducing inflammation include:
- Oats and barley
- Oily fish
- Vegetables with dark leaves
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Vegetables
- Low-fat milk
Sodium is a quiet but harmful ingredient in many processed foods – the average American gets about 80% of their daily salt intake from this alone. By reducing the amount of digested food you eat, you can eliminate the amount of sodium in your diet.
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2. Get enough sleep
Inadequate sleep puts you at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and heart disease — regardless of age, weight, smoking, and exercise habits. Too little sleep changes the way our body works and can affect blood pressure. This also goes the other way — too much sleep can adversely affect heart health. Make sure you get a recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every night, and you will be on track to support better heart health.
3. Exercise daily
Three types of exercise are important for heart health: aerobic, resistance, and flexibility (consider running, strength training, and yoga, for example). By changing the type of daily exercise, you can strengthen and train the heart in a variety of ways. Get at least 30 minutes a day to make your heart beat faster.
4. Quit smoking
Smoking — with all its harmful effects — is harmful to the health of the heart and is a contributing factor in many illnesses. Smoking kills the equivalent of three jumbo jets exploding daily. By simply quitting smoking or avoiding it altogether, you are saving your heart from almost inevitable problems.
5. Manage stress
We all have busy lives, and stress can’t be managed. Although we cannot completely avoid it, we can make an effort to manage stress healthily. Take a yoga class, set aside 30 minutes of “my” time, or practice deep breathing. Little goes a long way with time and pressure management.
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