The heart is one of essential body organs that directly influence our living. With the increased cases of heart diseases, I deem it important that we take the time to consider how to keep the heart healthy. The basic and most primary practices to ensure a healthy heart are a good diet and doing exercises. However, that is not enough to protect your heart from the ever emerging diseases. As such, this article gives factors for you to consider for a healthy heart.
Consume Nutritious Foods
The type of food you consume directly or indirectly affects your heart. Eating a balanced and varied diet can help prevent some of the major causes of heart irregularities such as massive weight gain, maintain cholesterol levels and check blood pressure.it is advisable to intake less salt to reduce the risk of blood pressure. Cutting the consumption of alcohol and drinking plenty of water is healthy for your heart. You should not consume the high kilo-joule drinks that have little to no nutritional value.
A lot of stress is put on the type of fat you consume. This directly affects the functionality of your heart. There are two types of fats. The healthy fats that are highly advisable and the trans fats. The trans fats are known to increase the probability of experiencing a stroke and causing heart disease. The trans fat clogs the major arteries and veins leaving the heart thereby hindering the pumping of blood. Cutting their consumption will improve blood flow through your body.
Have adequate sleep
Getting enough sleep of more than 7 hours per day is essential for maintaining a healthy heart. Inadequate and interrupted sleep increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases at various ages according to a study. In the study, researchers found out that enough sleep is good for the flow of blood after a long day of activities. Get enough sleep to improve the health of your heart. In cases of prolonged insomnias, consult a therapist.
Observe Dental Hygiene
Dental health is a reflection of your overall health including the health of your heart. What is the connection between dental health and the health of your heart? The bacteria that causes gum diseases has been found to be a leading contributor to heart diseases. According to studies on the same issue, the bacteria is responsible for the increased level of the C-reactive protein. This protein increases inflammation in the blood vessels increasing the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Ensure you brush and floss daily.
Avoid Exposure to Smoke
In a study conducted by the American Heart Association, exposure to smoke increases the risk of heart attacks and other heart-related diseases. For smokers, the smoke is said to narrow the diameter of blood vessels causing increased in the pressure of blood and hence high blood pressure. The risk is even higher for non-smokers with higher levels of cholesterol in their blood. To be safe from this cause of heart diseases, avoid smokes both at work and at home as much as possible.
Eating the right foods is good for your heart and for your health
Although you might know that eating certain foods can increase your heart disease risk, it’s often tough to change your eating habits. Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, here are eight heart-healthy diet tips. Once you know which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, you’ll be on your way toward a heart-healthy diet.
1. Control your portion size
How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories than you should. Portions served in restaurants are often more than anyone needs.
Use a small plate or bowl to help control your portions. Eat larger portions of low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and smaller portions of high-calorie, high-sodium foods, such as refined, processed or fast foods. This strategy can shape up your diet as well as your heart and waistline.
Keep track of the number of servings you eat. A serving size is a specific amount of food, defined by common measurements such as cups, ounces or pieces. For example, one serving of pasta is 1/2 cup, or about the size of a hockey puck. A serving of meat, fish or chicken is about 2 to 3 ounces, or about the size and thickness of a deck of cards. Judging serving size is a learned skill. You may need to use measuring cups and spoons or a scale until you’re comfortable with your judgment.
** 2. Eat more vegetables and fruits
Eat more Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits contain substances found in plants that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you eat less high-fat foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods.**
Featuring vegetables and fruits in your diet can be easy. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so that you’ll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredients, such as vegetable stir-fry or fresh fruit mixed into salads.
3. Select whole grains
Whole-grain-truth
Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. You can increase the amount of whole grains in a heart-healthy diet by making simple substitutions for refined grain products. Or be adventuresome and try a new whole grain, such as whole-grain farro, quinoa or barley.
4. Limit unhealthy fats
** Limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a buildup of plaques in your arteries, called atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
The American Heart Association offers these guidelines for how much fat to include in a heart-healthy diet:**
Type of fat Recommendation
Saturated fat Less than 7% of your total daily calories, or less than 14 g of saturated fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet
Trans fat Less than 1% of your total daily calories, or less than 2 g of trans fat if you follow a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet
The best way to reduce saturated and trans fats in your diet is to limit the amount of solid fats — butter, margarine and shortening — you add to food when cooking and serving. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet by trimming fat off your meat or choosing lean meats with less than 10 percent fat.
You can also use low-fat substitutions when possible for a heart-healthy diet. For example, top your baked potato with low-sodium salsa or low-fat yogurt rather than butter, or use sliced whole fruit or low-sugar fruit spread on your toast instead of margarine.
You may also want to check the food labels of some cookies, crackers and chips. Many of these snacks — even those labeled “reduced fat” — may be made with oils containing trans fats. One clue that a food has some trans fat in it is the phrase “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list.
When you do use fats, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But moderation is essential. All types of fat are high in calories.
An easy way to add healthy fat (and fiber) to your diet is ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds are small brown seeds that are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies have found that flaxseeds may help lower cholesterol in some people. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and stir a teaspoon of them into yogurt, applesauce or hot cereal.
**Fats to choose Fats to limit
Olive oil
Canola oil
Vegetable and nut oils
Margarine. **
- Choose low-fat protein sources
Lean meat, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy products, and eggs are some of your best sources of protein. But be careful to choose lower fat options, such as skim milk rather than whole milk and skinless chicken breasts rather than fried chicken patties.
Fish is another good alternative to high-fat meats. And certain types of fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower blood fats called triglycerides. You’ll find the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Other sources are flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.
Legumes — beans, peas and lentils — also are good sources of protein and contain less fat and no cholesterol, making them good substitutes for meat. Substituting plant protein for animal protein — for example, a soy or bean burger for a hamburger — will reduce your fat and cholesterol intake
Source : Google.com
Very good info, I'll apply it!
Yes that would be nice, And I believe u will definitely notice some good changes.