Developing a cardiovascular disease is not a light matter, and it can decrease our quality of life when it gets worse. Thankfully, we can lessen the chances of it happening to us if we follow a few simple rules.
Here’s how you can keep your heart healthy and strong.
1. Adopt a healthier lifestyle
The best way for everyone to keep their heart healthy is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Other than eating well and exercising regularly, a healthy lifestyle includes having enough sleep and maintaining good dental health. It’s important to have good oral hygiene to prevent the chances of germs entering the bloodstream and travelling to the heart which can cause endocarditis.
2. Manage stress
The way you react to stress affects your blood pressure too. When you’re in a stressful situation, the body produces a surge of hormones that cause your heart to beat faster and temporarily increase your blood pressure.
High blood pressure (hypertension) takes place when the force of the blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high and it strains your heart, arteries and kidneys.
The damage to your blood vessels due to the high pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke or heart failure. To manage stress, try relaxing activities such as yoga and meditation, sleeping enough hours or even simplifying your schedule.
3. Exercise
Working out regularly helps to keep our body and heart in a fit and healthy shape. The heart is a muscle that needs to be worked on regularly to stay strong.
To keep the heart healthy, there are three types of exercises you should incorporate in your exercise routine: aerobic exercise, resistance training and flexibility stretches.
4. Eat the right food
Eating the right heart-healthy food will help tremendously to keep the heart strong. It’s good to take foods that are rich in Omega-3 such as fatty fish and walnuts.
Your diet should be low in salt and saturated fat too. It’s prudent to keep cholesterol and blood sugar levels at a healthy point. By eating nutritious food, it’s easier to maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity too.
5. Avoid smoking
Cigarette smoking can be blamed for one in five cardiovascular disease deaths. This is because smoking damages the blood vessels and heart tissue.
It also lowers good cholesterol which can contribute to high blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chemicals in cigarette smoke cause the cells in the blood vessels to become swollen and inflamed. This narrows the blood vessels and can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke and coronary heart disease.
This article was first published in theSun Buzz World Heart Day edition. Find out the common symptoms of heart disease and what are the heart-healthy food you should consume.
