Heart disease is the main culprit of deaths around the world. Both habits and lifestyle choices can significantly impact the health of your heart. Improper diet, stressful lifestyle, and poor psychological health care can lead to stroke, heart attack, embolism, and coronary heart disease.
Don't miss these 8 tips on how to keep your heart healthy and prevent dangerous risk factors from affecting it.
1. Eat more fish
Implementing omega-3 fatty acids into your nutrition is important to maintain a healthy heart. Many fish, like salmon, trout, seabass, and mackerel, are perfect sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Try to have fish meals a least once or twice a week. And yes, fish does contain mercury, but luckily for you, its heart-healthy advantages tend to exceed the risks.
2. Do some stretching
Doing yoga is a perfect way to improve your range of motion, mobility, and strength. It's also a good way to rest and reduce stress. Plus, physical practices in yoga can help to improve your heart health and prevent you from experiencing heart disease.
3. Drink a moderate amount of alcohol
Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol is a perfect way to raise your good cholesterol levels. It's also an excellent way to avoid blood clotting and clogged arteries. Red wine is proven to provide benefits for your heart. But you shouldn't drink it at every meal. The main point is that alcohol should be consumed in moderate amounts.
4. Learn your numbers
Maintaining proper blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels is essential for perfect heart health. Discover the optimal levels according to your sex and age and try your best to maintain them. Don't forget to schedule regular exams with a cardiologist. For your visits to be the most effective, try to keep proper records of your vitals and lab tests, and bring them to the doctor's office.
5. Have some dark chocolate
Dark chocolate not only tastes great but it is also rich in healthy flavonoids. These chemicals can help to eliminate inflammation and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Moderate consumption of dark chocolate — not high in sugar milk chocolate — can contribute to the health of your heart. Every time you want to eat something sweet, just have some dark chocolate.
6. Don't be a couch potato
Regardless of your body weight, leading a sedentary lifestyle could decrease your lifespan. A sedentary lifestyle leads to weight gain and high blood sugar. If you're an office worker, don't forget to take regular breaks to move a little. Go for a walk during your lunchtime, and have regular workouts in your free time.
7. Maintain proper dental habits
Proper dental hygiene does more than keep your teeth shiny and bright. Dangerous bacteria that cause gingivitis can also lead to cardiovascular disease. These bacteria can get into your bloodstream and cause inflammation in your blood arteries. So fight the temptation to skip that morning or evening brushing.
8. Reduce your salt intake
By reducing your salt intake to just half a teaspoon a day, you can significantly lower your chances of developing coronary heart disease in the future. Salt is one of the main culprits of high blood pressure. Processed and junk foods tend to contain huge amounts of salt. So think twice before having a hamburger on your lunch break. Try using salt alternatives, if you experience high blood pressure or heart problems.
The bottom line
If you're concerned about your heart health, change your diet, indulge in proper dental hygiene, and have more exercise. With these simple steps, you can significantly reduce your chances of experiencing any heart problems in the future. And don't be shy to consult a heart doctor if you have any questions or concerns about your cardiovascular system.
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