8 Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy – Things That Make A Big Impact In Heart Health
India has the highest rate of CVD (cardiovascular disease) in the world from 2.26 million in 1990, India’s annual CVD deaths will increase by 4.77 million (2020). So, it is important to keep your heart healthy because it is an important organ. Heart health depends on good nutrition and fitness keeping the heart healthy is something you can work on every day.
Eight things that can make a big difference in your heart are what you eat, how you move, and whether you smoke, drink, your oral hygiene, how you manage your stress levels and sleep cycles. So, here are some of the Tips/Ways recommended by cardiologists in Lucknow to keep your heart healthy and strong even if you are at home.
1. Healthy Eating
Healthy eating habits can lower your risk of developing heart disease. Heart healthy eating habits include foods low in saturated fat, added sweeteners, and sodium (salt). In addition, high-fibre foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, are heart healthy. Also, certain fats, like those in olive oil or fish, can benefit your health.
A high-salt diet can lead to high blood pressure, which could increase your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. For adults, the recommended daily salt intake is 6gm, and for children, it’s 3gm. Reduce salt consumption by limiting salt used at the table and decreasing salt use in cooking. You should also pay attention to food labels to see how much salt is in processed foods.
Plenty of Sugar intake can lead to weight gain, increasing blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. However, if you can’t give up sugar, you can have natural sugar like fresh fruits instead of sweetened desserts or cakes.
Saturated fats such as butter, margarine, and dairy fats can increase cholesterol levels instead of full-fat milk, switch to semi-skimmed or low-fat milk products. Choose lean cuts of meat, steaming and grilling over frying. Healthy eating habits will keep your heart healthy.
2. Get More Exercise
The unhealthy effects of a couch potato or desk jockey lifestyle on blood sugar and blood fats are apparent. Research shows that those who aren’t active are more likely to get heart disease than those who are more active. Regular breaks are important if you work at a computer take a walk during your lunch break and exercise regularly in your spare time.
Regular physical activity can prevent heart disease, at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity should be done each week to keep your heart healthy. This includes any activity that increases your heart rate, such as walking, dancing, or biking. It helps to lower your chance of developing coronary disease.
Start slow if you are starting new for example, you can fit a short walk into your daily routine then, you can break up the 150-minutes in any way that you want. You could, for example, walk for 30 minutes every day during lunch. Finally, you can increase your activity by increasing your time and starting with 5 minutes.
3. Manage Stress
Stress can make it more common to smoke, drink little or no alcohol, and not exercise as much. All of these are associated with heart disease. However, stress management can help you avoid serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, or other serious conditions. For keeping the heart healthy, meditation and deep breathing are great ways to make your heart stress free.
Take a walk next time you feel stressed, angry or exasperated, a five-minute walk can clear your mind and reduce stress levels this is good for your heart. A half-hour walks each day is better for your mental and physical health.
4. Quit Smoking
Studies show that smoking is one of the leading causes of heart disease. In addition, people who smoke at work or home are more likely to develop heart disease. According to the Indian Heart Association (IHA), tobacco smoke is responsible for approximately 28,500 premature deaths from heart disease and 926000 deaths due to smoking each year.
Smoking can cause damage to your arteries, increase blood pressure, and reduce the oxygen levels in your blood because of the chemicals in cigarette smoke, plaque build-up can occur in the arteries. Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to keep your heart healthy, your body will heal faster if you stop smoking as soon as possible. In addition, you’ll feel healthier and more energetic.
5. Get Enough Sleep
To keep your heart healthy, you must get enough sleep no matter what age group you are in, a lack of sleep can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, a study of 3,000 people over 45 showed that those who slept less than six hours per day were twice as likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack as those who slept six to eight hours a day.
Researchers have found that less sleeping can disrupt biological processes and underlying health conditions, such as blood pressure or inflammation. Make sleeping a priority it would be best if you got 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. In addition, you should seek treatment if you suffer from sleep apnoea this condition can be linked to arrhythmias or heart disease.
6. Cut Back on Alcohol
Alcohol intake can increase your risk for heart disease. It can cause high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and damage to your heart muscle. Also, alcohol may increase the risk of arrhythmias if you have an existing condition.
For those with inherited heart rhythm disorders, this can be dangerous. You’ll notice a rapid reduction in blood pressure if you quit drinking or reduce your intake this should happen within a few days.
However, you don’t need to stop drinking alcohol completely, instead keep to the current guidelines for moderate alcohol consumption, two to three units per day for women and three or four for men. So, to keep your heart healthy please drink in moderation.
7. Good Dental Hygiene Includes Flossing Daily
Periodontal disease (also known as gum disease) is often a sign of heart disease. While research continues on this topic, many studies have shown that bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause an increase in C-reactive proteins, which is a marker of inflammation in blood vessels.
These changes can increase your risk of stroke and heart disease, to prevent gum disease floss and brush your teeth every day because gum disease is more than just cavities.
8. Do Not Sit Too Long At Once
Recent research suggests that sitting for prolonged periods can be detrimental to your health, regardless of how much you exercise. Many people sit all day at sedentary jobs, it is not good for the least. Researchers analysed the combined results from several observational studies, which included almost 800,000 people they found that those who sat most experienced a 147 percent increase in cardiovascular events and a 90% increase in deaths.
Sitting for extended periods, especially when on the road can increase your risk of blood clots called deep vein thrombosis. Experts recommend that you move every day, you can park further away from the office and walk a shorter distance throughout the day. Or use a standing desk so that you can move around and remember to exercise every day to keep your heart healthy.
Devices which are available to Monitor your Heart Health at Home
A few devices will help you motivate yourself and track your progress if you want to monitor your blood pressure, weight, or exercise. These are some options you might want to consider:
- Monitor blood pressure. These can be used to track your blood pressure, it would help if you looked for an upper-arm monitor with an automatic, cuff-style cuff. Before you buy a cuff, make sure it fits correctly & to get an average reading, take your blood pressure for at least three days. Do this twice a day once in the morning and once in the evening.
- Monitor heart rate: These devices can tell you how hard your heart beats when you exercise. These devices are not only for athletes they can also help anyone monitor and improve their fitness levels. It can help you to avoid doing too much, before you begin an exercise program, talk to your doctor. Your doctor will also be able to tell you your target heart rate and you should exercise to get the best benefit for your heart.
- Pedometer: It is possible to increase your activity levels by becoming aware of how many steps you take each day and then challenging yourself to do more. A pedometer is a great tool to help you achieve this. You might aim to walk 500 steps per day every two weeks and then you should aim for 10,000 steps per day.
- Activity tracker: is a more sophisticated option than a pedometer. There are many options available, from wristbands to clipping them on your hip to those worn as an activity tracker. Many track steps, distance, duration of the activity, and calories burned, others go an extra mile to track your sleep, heart rate, distance, calories burned and even keep a food log. Many syncs with smartphones and computers and provide online dashboards, some even offer support groups and forums online. They may not be 100% accurate but can help you get healthy.
- Smartphone app you don’t want to spend money on a pedometer? You can download an app to your smartphone. Many apps will help you track calories, steps, blood pressure, weight, and more. You can connect with friends and earn points or badges for achieving your activity goals.
- Scale: A scale can help you lose weight. It is easier to weigh yourself once per week. These tips will help you: Always weigh yourself the same day, every week, at the same time, and on the same scale.
- Cholesterol home testing kit: These kits can be purchased at a pharmacy, medical supply store, or online. They allow you to test cholesterol in-between visits to your doctor. The results can be obtained in minutes, rather than waiting for days to receive them from your doctor. There are both electronic and manual versions, an electronic kit will allow you to monitor and store your cholesterol readings.
Conclusion
There are ways you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. You need to eat well, exercise, quit smoking, and keep your heart healthy. These are just a few of the other steps you can take.
- Regular check-ups are recommended. Get a physical at least once per year to ensure you don’t have any conditions that could put you at high risk of heart disease and check if you are managing any existing conditions.
- Monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure. Your doctor can help you keep track of your regular check-ups. However, you can also use a home or pharmacy blood pressure machine. Your pharmacist can also test your blood pressure.
- Manage your diabetes: Diabetes patients should be careful about their blood sugar levels and regular exercise.
- Do not skip taking your medication: Take your diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other conditions as prescribed. Do not stop taking the medication if you are experiencing side effects. Instead, talk to your doctor about alternative options.
You should consult your doctor if the age limit is 45 or over, you should visit your doctor to receive a Heart Health Check-up. Your doctor will evaluate your heart health during a Heart Health Check-up and will tell you if there is a high or low chance of you having a stroke, heart attack, or both within the next five years. Then, your doctor will work with you to help manage your risk factors, improving your heart health.
