A healthy heart is the way to healthy living, quite right but with
sedentary lifestyle, munching on junk food, alcohol consumption, smoking,
erratic working hours and unwanted stress ultimately leads to a troubled heart
Here are some tips for a healthy heart:
Quit smoking: Quitting
smoking is the most important thing that a person can do to live longer. A
smoker is more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. The risk of
heart attack reduces once you stop smoking, several studies suggest.
Less salt: Consumption
of salt should be cut down as it causes high-blood pressure and increases the
risk of developing coronary heart disease. Foods items such as chips, salted
nuts, canned eatables, packet soups, sauces and ready meals should be avoided.
Even breakfast cereals and bread that looks healthy, contains high level of
salt.
Healthy diet: A healthy
diet is very important to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. It also
helps to increase the chances of survival after heart attack. One should
include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, oily fish and starchy foods in
their balanced diet to have a healthy heart. Foods like biscuits, cakes,
pastries and dairy products to be avoided as they contain high amount of
saturated fats and sugar.
Reduce alcohol: Drinking
too much of alcohol is not good for health otherwise as well, and can damage
the heart muscle. It also increases the blood pressure and leads to weight
gain. One should limit the intake of alcohol, as binge drinking increases the
risk of having an untimely sudden attack.
Stay active: One
should be physically active in order to keep a healthy heart. As heart is a
muscle, it needs exercise to remain fit so that it can pump blood efficiently
round the body with each heartbeat. One should exercise at least for 30 minutes
in a day. Staying physically fit benefits your mental health and well-being
too.
Maintain weight: Being
overweight can affect the health functioning, leading to the risk of coronary
heart disease and diabetes. If you are overweight one should maintain weight in
order to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Regular check-up: One
should regularly check their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A person
who has a high blood pressure falls under a higher risk of having an attack.
The life expectancy gets shorter if you have a high blood pressure. The high level
of cholesterol in the blood leads to fatty deposits in the coronary arteries
that increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
Manage stress level: Taking
too much stress is not good for health, and everyone is aware of it. People who
are the most stressed are more likely to have a heart attack. If you find
things are getting on top of you, take a break in between and relax. Managing
your high stress levels is the best way to keep your heart in healthy and
thumping in the right manner.Source: - Zee News Nov. 23, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment