Your heart is one of the most vital organs in your body. It pumps blood to every cell, delivering oxygen and nutrients, and removing waste products. It also helps regulate your blood pressure, temperature, and fluid balance. Your heart works hard for you every day, so it deserves some love and care.
But how can you keep your heart healthy and happy? There are many factors that affect your heart health, such as your genes, age, lifestyle, and environment. Some of these factors are beyond your control, but others are within your reach. You can make some simple changes to your daily habits that can have a big impact on your heart health.
Here are some tips to improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide1.
Eat a balanced diet
What you eat affects your heart health in many ways. A balanced diet can help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent inflammation, and provide antioxidants and other nutrients that protect your heart.
A balanced diet should include a variety of foods from different food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and low-fat dairy products. You should also limit your intake of foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, added sugar, and refined carbohydrates. These foods can increase your risk of heart disease by raising your blood cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and inflammation.
Some examples of heart-healthy foods are:
- Fruits and vegetables: They are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, preferably fresh, frozen, or canned without added salt or sugar. Choose a variety of colors and types, such as berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and root vegetables.
- Whole grains: They are a good source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, and phytochemicals that can help regulate your blood sugar, lower your cholesterol, and prevent blood clots. Choose whole grains over refined grains, such as brown rice, oats, quinoa, barley, and whole-wheat bread, pasta, and cereals.
- Lean proteins: They provide essential amino acids, iron, and zinc that are needed for muscle growth, repair, and function. They also help you feel full and satisfied, which can prevent overeating and weight gain. Choose lean proteins over fatty or processed meats, such as fish, poultry, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and seeds. Fish is especially beneficial for your heart, as it contains omega-3 fatty acids that can lower your triglycerides, inflammation, and risk of arrhythmia2.
- Healthy fats: They are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, the production of hormones, and the structure of cell membranes. They also help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol, which can prevent plaque buildup in your arteries. Choose healthy fats over unhealthy fats, such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fish. Avoid or limit butter, lard, coconut oil, palm oil, and hydrogenated oils, as they are high in saturated and trans fats that can raise your LDL cholesterol and inflammation.
- Low-fat dairy products: They provide calcium, protein, and vitamin D that are important for your bone health, muscle function, and immune system. They also help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, as they contain potassium, magnesium, and other minerals that can relax your blood vessels and reduce plaque formation. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products over full-fat or flavored ones, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese. Avoid or limit cream, ice cream, and whipped cream, as they are high in saturated fat and calories.
Stay physically active
Physical activity is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy and happy. It can help you burn calories, lose weight, strengthen your muscles, improve your blood circulation, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and reduce your stress and anxiety. It can also boost your mood, energy, and self-esteem, which can improve your quality of life.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, or a combination of both3. Aerobic activity is any activity that makes your heart beat faster and your lungs work harder, such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, or playing sports. You can also add some strength training and flexibility exercises to your routine, such as lifting weights, doing push-ups, or stretching, to improve your muscle tone, balance, and range of motion.
To get the most benefits from physical activity, you should:
- Choose an activity that you enjoy and that suits your fitness level, goals, and preferences. You are more likely to stick to it and have fun if you like what you do.
- Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of your activity. This can help you avoid injury and burnout, and allow your body to adapt and improve over time.
- Warm up before and cool down after your activity. This can help you prepare your muscles, joints, and heart for the exercise, and prevent soreness, cramps, and stiffness afterwards.
- Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your activity. This can help you stay hydrated, regulate your body temperature, and prevent dehydration, which can impair your performance and health.
- Listen to your body and rest when you need to. If you feel pain, discomfort, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath, stop your activity and seek medical attention if necessary. Do not push yourself beyond your limits, as this can cause more harm than good.
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke
Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your heart health. It can damage your blood vessels, increase your blood pressure and heart rate, reduce your oxygen supply, and make your blood more likely to clot. It can also increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, angina, and peripheral artery disease4.
Quitting smoking can have immediate and long-term benefits for your heart health. According to the American Heart Association, within 20 minutes of quitting, your blood pressure and heart rate drop. Within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. Within a year, your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s. Within 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease is similar to that of a nonsmoker’s5.
Quitting smoking can be hard, but it is not impossible. There are many resources and strategies that can help you quit, such as nicotine replacement products, medications, counseling, support groups, and apps. You can also ask your doctor, family, and friends for help and encouragement. The key is to find what works for you and stick to it.
You should also avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, which is the smoke from other people’s cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. Secondhand smoke can also harm your heart health, as it contains the same toxic chemicals and pollutants as the smoke you inhale from your own cigarette. It can increase your risk of heart disease by 25 to 30 percent, and your risk of stroke by 20 to 30 percent6.
To protect yourself from secondhand smoke, you should:
- Avoid places where smoking is allowed, such as bars, restaurants, casinos, and hotels. If you have to be in a smoking area, sit as far away from the smokers as possible, and ask for a fan or a window to improve the ventilation.
- Ask your family, friends, and coworkers not to smoke around you, especially in enclosed spaces, such as your home, car, or office. Explain to them how secondhand smoke affects your health, and ask them to respect your choice to be smoke-free.
- Support policies and laws that ban smoking in public places, such as workplaces, schools, parks, and playgrounds. These policies and laws can help reduce the exposure to secondhand smoke and the incidence of heart disease and other smoking-related illnesses.
Manage your stress
Stress is a normal and inevitable part of life. It can be caused by various factors, such as work, family, finances, health, or personal issues. Stress can have both positive and negative effects on your health, depending on how you cope with it. Some stress can motivate you to perform better, overcome challenges, and adapt to changes. However, too much stress or chronic stress can overwhelm you and harm your health, especially your heart health.
Stress can affect your heart health in several ways. It can:
- Increase your blood pressure and heart rate, which can strain your heart and blood vessels.
- Increase your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- Increase your inflammation and oxidative stress, which can damage your cells and tissues.
- Increase your cortisol and adrenaline levels, which can interfere with your sleep, appetite, mood, and immune system.
- Increase your emotional and behavioral responses, such as anger, anxiety, depression, smoking, drinking, overeating, or physical inactivity, which can worsen your heart health and overall well-being.
Managing your stress can help you improve your heart health and quality of life. There are many ways to cope with stress, such as:
- Identifying and addressing the sources of your stress. Try to find out what causes you stress, and how you can change, avoid, or accept it. For example, if you are stressed about
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Learn more:
1. microsoftstart.msn.com 2. healthline.com 3. health.harvard.edu 4. heart.org 5. health.gov 6. microsoftstart.msn.com