Ten Hacks to Keep your Heart Strong & Healthy
By Nmami Agarwal 01-Feb 2020 Reading Time: 7 Mins
Heart problems are very common in today’s time. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most prevalent killer. Thus to stay away from heart problems and to keep your heart strong and fit by following a heart healthy diet and lifestyle. So by following these quick tips you can stay away from heart problems:
Exercising regularly- Physical activity for minimum 30 to 40 minutes is recommended for every individual. Regular exercising can strengthen the heart muscles. Majorly doing a balance of cardio and strength training can actually help in strengthening of heart muscles. Many people also go for aerobic training but that should not be considered as an option for heart patients as aerobic training makes you breathe deeply which in turn makes your heart to pump more blood, thereby work harder. Thus it can sometimes become difficult for a heart patient to exercise especially aerobic exercises for longer period of time since they can undergo palpitations and breathing difficulties.
Count on your LDL or bad cholesterol intake- You should always keep a check on your saturated fat intake which is the main reason for increase in LDL cholesterol levels, which For that you must avoid consumption of too much of fried or oily food and try to use minimum oil for cooking. Get your levels checked on regular intervals.
Have a diet enriched with fiber- Eating a heart healthy diet can help in reducing the risk of developing any heart disease or stroke. Thus you must include fruits and vegetables in your diet to get an ample amount of fiber and vitamins and minerals which are essential for your body.
Keep check of your blood pressure- So one should always monitor their blood pressure by keeping check of their sodium intake. Sodium intake should be reduced. And whenever consuming salt it should always be in cooked form. People having heart problems or high blood pressure problems should always have minimum salt intake. One should always have minimum salt and that also in cooked form and avoid sprinkling of salt over your salads, fruits since it can lead to instant rise in blood pressure of the patient.
Try to maintain a healthy Weight – A healthy weight is always essential for a person to maintain his or her cholesterol levels which in turn will keep the person healthy. So following a healthy weight loss diet can actually help in lowering down of cholesterol levels.
Stay hydrated – You must target to drink at least 2-3 liters of water in a day. Consuming too much of sodium in form of salt or any processed or canned food items can lead to dehydration, Which can further become a problem for a heart patient since it can cause palpitations or shortness of breath .
Practice meditation and mind relaxing activities- Now ever days every third person is undergoing some kind of stress, be it a work related stress or relationship related or health related. This stress becomes a one way trip to develop high blood pressure problems, unhealthy life choices and ultimately leads to development of diseases like cardiovascular diseases. Therefore it becomes very essential to manage stress by practicing meditation and yoga to relax your mind and relive stress.
Keep a check on your oral hygiene- It is said that poor oral hygiene can lead to other serious health conditions like cardiovascular disease. A link has been seen that periodontitis which is a gum disease is 1 of the factor for developing heart disease. Bad oral health raises the chance of developing bacterial infections in the blood stream, which can further affect the heart valves as well.
Get a sound sleep – Getting a sound sleep is very necessary for body and mind to heal and refresh the body. If you are deprived of sleep then it hampers the body’s functioning. Sleep deprivation also makes you crave for sugary foods, starches and unhealthy carbs. And that’s why you should make sure that you are having a sleep of minimum 6-8 hours in a day.
Abstain from alcohol and smoking- It is believed that smoking can increase the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, lung disease and certain type of cancers. And whereas the alcohol is concerned, Wine can be consumed in moderation but increasing the quantity of the same can also hamper the heart health.
Over to you:
The more you follow healthy lifestyle and keep track of your health the more your heart gets stronger. So follow the above mentioned bright freak ways to keep your heart healthy and strong.