How to Take Care of your Heart Health

Heart disease is one of the biggest health problems in the world. In fact, it is estimated that it kills as many as 1 in every 3 people. Every hear a large number of people have a heart attack and for a proportion of them, it was totally avoidable. Lifestyle has a massive effect on the health of our hearts. Unfortunately, too many of us take our health for granted, and it is not until something drastic happens like a heart attack that we finally stand up and take notice. That means that there are many ways you can take care of your heart, and some of them are listed below:

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Stay a Healthy Weight

Carrying around a lot of excess weight all the time is not good for your heart. First of all, the heart has to work harder to pump blood and oxygen around your body, and being heavier means that it is more difficult for many people to exercise. In a nutshell, the higher your BMI or an above-average high waist circumference means that you are carrying excess fat around your abdomen. This can lead to many diseases, including heart disease.

Exercise

Regular exercise, around two and half hours every week, is a wonder drug for the body. It can improve your blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, help you keep control of your weight, too, all of which are great ways to look after your heart. If you are overweight and haven’t exercised in a while, start slow and remember that any exercise is better than none. So, just walking a little more, taking the stairs where you can, parking further away from where to need to go, etc., the more exercise you do, the easier it will become.

Kick Bad Habits

Smoking and drinking too much alcohol regularly are extremely detrimental to the health of your heart. If you do both, try and cut out one, then work on the other. There is no safe limit on either of these vices, so you really are better off cutting them out completely. But cutting down is definitely a great way to start. 

Check Your Diet

Next time you are in the supermarket, tackle a good look at the shopping you have accumulated before you hit the checkout. Is it full of healthy foods and plenty of fruits and vegetables, or have you loaded up on unhealthy food like microwave meals and pizzas? Too much salt, fat, and sugar is going to raise your blood pressure. So you need to be vigilant. If you really need microwave meals, check for ones with reduced salt and fat, for example. The best course of action, though, is to cook at home from fresh. 

Checkups

A great way to keep a healthy heart is it have regular checkups with a Cardiologist such as Dr Muayad Alasady. They will give you a blood test and check your blood pressure, among other things, and advise you if they spot anything untoward on any of your scans.

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  • Thanks for posting this! And as for exercise, I highly recommend swimming. Swimming activities that last for about 30 minutes every day can benefit the heart, lungs, and circulation. Moreover, it is a low-impact activity and doesn’t stress your joints as other sports do.

  • Thank you for sharing! Also, pay attention to the air you breathe. Air quality impacts our heart health. While it’s pretty challenging to improve the air quality outdoors, you can always do it with air quality in your home. First of all, I would recommend cleaning or replacing air conditioner filters. Dirty filters of HVAC systems are the leading cause of poor air quality at home. It would be best if you also cleaned air ducts – they accumulate lots of dust ad allergens.