Heart-healthy life- 5 Tips to prevent heart disease

It’s a said reality that everybody knows at least one person who is suffering from heart disease. Both the lifestyles we lead, our genetics, our environments, all of this influences the severity and prevalence of heart disease in the western world. Staying safe is paramount, and for that reason, we set up this little article. 

In this piece, we give you some advice on the best ways to prevent heart disease and to minimize its risk. Remember that a large part of fighting this issue is making lifestyle changes on a regular basis, making changes that stick, that you will adhere to for a long time. 

First of all– do anything. Yes, there are better options, there are types of exercise that are more beneficial to the health of your heart than others. In fact, John Hopkins Medicine advises you to get a combination of multiple types. Still, do anything.

Too many people obsess over the right type of exercise, they pontificate and procrastinate, but end up never actually getting down to it. Exercising improves circulation, thus lowering your blood pressure. Exercises strengthens your heart, it reduces the risk of getting diabetes, and it also regulates blood glucose levels. Trust us, you really do want to get some exercise under your belt.

This one seems like a no-brainer, and yet too many people simply refuse to do it. Talking to the professionals is the best way you can be certain that what you are doing for your heart is good. Think about it – do you have reason to worry? Do you have a history of heart illness, of elevated blood pressure in your family? Did any close relatives die from heart diseases? What’s your cholesterol like? Your blood pressure levels?

If needed, we suggest you contact a professional specialist cardiologist and actually get checked out. Getting a professional’s look might be exactly what you need to prevent anything possibly getting worse.

A vital part of staying healthy is getting enough sleep. A lack of sleep means a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, this can truly lead to heart issues. Sleeping too little can cause disruptions and lead to inflammation. So, try to get at seven and a half hours per night. 

There is a very high risk of heart disease if you are a smoker. That is common knowledge. What isn’t common knowledge is that second-hand smoking causes this as well. People who are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work have a 25% higher chance of developing heart diseases. It leads to over 34,000 heart disease deaths, as well as 7,300 lung cancer deaths, annually.

It’s not just about what you eat, but how much you eat. Controlling your portion sizes, not overloading your plate, it can prevent you from getting too many calories. Too much weight means you can overload your body, make your work a bit too much, and can exacerbate existing issues. Gaining weight means eating extra calories, and smaller portion sizes will help you simply eat less. 

So, keep track. Try to figure how many calories you need, and work towards that. Eat nutrient-rich, low calories foods. Things like lots of fruits and vegetables, or fish and chicken breast. 

Cut back on fried and breaded foods. Limiting unhealthy fats is a very important part of reducing your cholesterol levels, and thus lowering your risk of coronary artery disease. Namely, high blood cholesterol leads to plaque build-up in your arteries, which greatly increases your risk of heart attacks and of stroke.  

We hope this article has been informative and that it can help you with your health. Having a healthy heart is vital not only so you can live longer, but it also influence’s the quality of your life. Furthermore, you will notice that most, if not all, of the changes above, can definitely improve your life in other areas as well. Portion size means losing weight, more vitamins mean having more energy, and of course, less sodium means your skin will look a lot better.