Avoid Heart Diseases with These Simple Diet and Lifestyle Changes

Heart disease has become the leading cause of death among men and women in countries such as the USA. All it takes to protect one against heart risks is a little caution. Thus, adopt a lifestyle that is healthy and incorporates adequate physical activity. If you aspire to achieve a healthy heart, follow these simple diet and lifestyle changes and mitigate all sorts of health risks.

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Quit Smoking

Smoking can cause more than just heart disease; it has been the predominant source of cancer, lung disease, stroke, andinfertility. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking can escalate the chances of heart disease among individuals by up to four times. Smoking causes the arteries to thicken, thereby impacting blood flow and eventually leading to heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

If you haven’t already tried to quit smoking, it’s high time you do! Addiction can be difficult to get rid of, but it is not impossible to achieve. You can always use smoking cessation aids or opt for counseling. Starting early can save your organs from damage, and your body would even recover from any deterioration that is already in effect.

Eat healthy

If you are to remain healthy, you must incorporate a balanced diet in your life. Eating fruits, vegetables, andwhite meat can prove beneficial to the body while providing the much-needed fuel to the heart. Fruits and vegetables are rich in minerals and essential vitamins that can keep the heart functioning healthily.

You may choose from fresh vegetables and canned fruitswhile cutting back on red meat and snacks. You may also include whole grains and fiber-rich foods to your routine diet and regulate blood pressure for a healthy heart. Use whole wheat flour, whole-grain bread, high-fiber cereals, oatmeal, and low-fat dairy products. If you love meat, go for the leanest cuts and keep a cheat day every now and then to satisfy your taste buds.

Keep a Check on Diabetes

Diabetes is known to have been the cause of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which can be potentially risky for the heart. To keep the heart healthy, you must keep a close check on your diabetic condition. Make sure yourblood pressure and cholesterol levels are managed adequately and a healthy weight is maintained.

A person who has diabetes is more prone to heart risks and strokes, making it all the more important to maintain sugar levels in the body. If you cannot control diabetes, a cardiovascular disease is likely. This proves that your heart’s health depends directly on how well you can maintain the appropriate sugar levels in the body. Do not succumb to cravings; it’s the worst you can do to your body and heart if you have diabetes.

Start Moving

Physical activity is vital to maintaining a good and healthy heart. A rigorous daily physical exercise can curtail blood pressurewhile maintaining lower levels of cholesterol. Routine physical exercise will keep body weight in check, which helps keep the heart healthy. A healthy weight protects the heart from damage and fatigue while managing blood circulation within the body effectively.

Staying on the couch for too long, perhaps watching your favorite sport, is unhealthy for the heart. The American Heart Association (AHA) has suggested that physicalactivity of a minimum of30 minutes is mandatory to keep yourself away from potential heart risks. You must move in order to keep the blood circulating through the bodyand to reduce blood pressure.

Keep Away from Unhealthy Fats

Saturated and trans fats are directly related to blood cholesterol and coronary artery diseases. With a high blood cholesterol level, your arteries are at risk of atherosclerosis, which has been the cause of heart attack and stroke. In order to keep the heart healthy, trans fats are to be avoided entirely indaily meals, while the quantity of saturated fats must not exceed 13g.

Lean meats come with lower saturated fat quantities, so use lean cuts. You can keep olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil and margarine for cooking food. Try and avoid butter, bacon fat, cream sauce, non-dairy creamers, coconut and palm kernel oils in cooking; these will only hike blood cholesterol, making the heart more prone to risks.

Don’t Take Stress

According to a few studies, the coronary heart disease is correlated with stress. If you are the kind of person who takes a lot of stressand is more anxious than others, there is a higher chanceof you becoming addicted to either cigarettes or drugs. These are not goodfor the heart. People who take too much stress at a very young age tend to develop high blood pressure, which is again not healthy for the heart.

Avoid taking stressand remain at a reasonable distance from anxiety. Be happy and enjoy your life to the fullest. Find happiness in the tiniest of moments so that you can live longand happy.

 

Limit Use of Alcohol

The more you drink alcohol, the higher your blood pressure will be. Excessive consumption of alcohol leads to irregular heartbeats, higher triglycerides, andweight issues as well. However, a regulated consumption of it can bring about positive effects onthe heart.

Thus, limit your alcohol usage to two drinks on a daily basis for men and no more than one drink for women. If you are not into alcohol, it is the best-case scenario. However,if you are addicted to it, you need to regulate your consumption now. You cannot leave yourheart to suffer just because your addiction is too much tohandle.

Final Words

By sticking to these lifestyle changes, you can avoid heart diseases and all other cardiovascular risks. All it takes is managing your diet, keeping yourself physically active, giving up on unnecessary addiction and leading a happy life. A healthyheart makes for a healthy and happy mind!