How to Keep Heart Healthy and Strong

Heart and circulatory diseases are one of the biggest killers worldwide, and everyone is at risk. Unfortunately, you are even at higher risk if you:

● Are overweight

● Smoke

● Have high blood pressure

● Have high cholesterol

● Have poor diet

● Don’t get enough physical activity

Your age and family history also influences the risk for cardiovascular disease. Risk is higher if:

● You are a 45+ man

● You are a 55+ woman

● Your father or brother had cardiovascular disease before 55

● Your mother or sister had cardiovascular disease before 65.

However, even if you are at risk, don’t panic! There is a lot you can do to prevent disease. So, let’s take a closer look at how to keep a healthy heart.

How to Keep Heart Healthy and Strong

1.  Make Sure To Eat Healthy Heart Diet

Diet and nutrition are key factors that impact heart health. Certain foods influence cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and inflammation which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Here are foods you should avoid to prevent heart issues:

● Junk foods

● Condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup

● Table salt

● Sugar

● Packaged meals

If you already suffer from cardiovascular problems, the following products should also be excluded:

● Gravy

● Butter

● Fried foods

● Non-dairy creamers

● Processed meals

● Certain cuts of meats

● Pastries

● Ice-cream

Food for a healthy heart mustn’t contain trans fat since it clogs arteries by raising bad cholesterol levels and lowering good cholesterol levels.

Thus, consuming trans fats increases the risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke over a lifetime. Instead, cutting them from the diet will improve the blood flow throughout the body.

2.  What are healthy heart foods?

Do include the following foods to maximize your heart health:

● Whole grains

● Seeds

● Leafy green vegetables

● Fruits

● Berries

● Fatty fish and fish oil

● Avocado

● Walnuts

● Almonds

● Dark chocolate

● Beans

● Tomatoes

● Olive oil

● Garlic

● Edamame

● Green tea

3.  Give Up Smoking & Avoid Secondhand Smoke

Smokers are twice as likely to have a heart attack compared to those who don’t smoke. Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, raises blood pressure, and damages the lining of the arteries. Furthermore, the risk of developing heart disease is higher for people who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work. 

Non-smokers who have higher blood cholesterol or higher blood pressure have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease when they are often exposed to secondhand smoke. That’s because chemicals released from tobacco smoke increase plaque buildup in the arteries.

4.  Get Active

People who are physically active have a lower risk of early death, particularly from heart disease. So, what should you do?

● Aim to get 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day; you can start from a brisk 30-minute walk every lunchtime during the week.

● Sit less - recent research has suggested that sitting for long periods of time is bad for health no matter how much exercise you do. So, even if you have a sedentary job, try to move during the day as much as you can.

● Get social - doing a physical activity together with family or friends will keep you motivated.

● Choose activities you like - if you enjoy doing something, chances are high you won’t give it up. 

● Set realistic goals for your workouts so that you don’t feel overwhelmed. As you know, slow and steady wins the race.

5.  Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is vital to keep the heart healthy. If you sleep less than 6-7 hours a day, you are at risk for heart disease no matter your age and healthy habits. Scientists believe that poor sleeping causes disruption in the biological process and underlying health conditions, including inflammation and blood pressure. Therefore, make a good, quality sleep your priority if you want to prevent heart disease.

6.  See The Doctor For A Heart Health Check-up

If you are older than 45, regular medical check-ups are a must for you. You should see your doctor so that he/she could assess your risk factors for heart disease, based on your:

● Blood pressure

● Cholesterol levels

● Physical activity levels

● Diet

● Family and medical history

Then your doctor will tell you whether you are at low, moderate, or high risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, or stroke in the next 5 years. You’ll be able to ask your questions like “What's a healthy heart rate?”, and together, you’ll manage risk factors to improve your heart health.

We hope our tips will be helpful for you. Follow them and you’ll do your heart a favor; you’ll feel much better and stay active with a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Author bio: Hey everyone, it’s Coach Alisa Weaver :) Teaching and coaching is my passion and career choice. I also write useful articles on health and fitness for the site http://gym-expert.com. I find great satisfaction to see others achieve their goals, whether it is recovery from injury or surgery, strengthening the body for competition, or just becoming fit. I think that anyone can improve their fitness level no matter what their physical condition may be. By pushing yourself, discipline, not giving up together we can make your goals happen.