Heart diseases have been deemed as one of the most common causes of death. However, you don’t have to be scared, and succumb to any fate just yet! There are ways to ensure a happy hearty heart health, which wont only reduce the risk of heart diseases but also lead to a healthier life in general!

Reduce Consumption of Fat!

A certain amount of fat is good for a balanced diet. However, to ensure a healthy and disease free functioning of the heart, we must control the fat content we consume and the kind of fat as well. Saturated fat and trans fat are the two kinds that can thoroughly escalate the risk of heart diseases, like coronary heart disease by increasing cholesterol levels. Foods high in saturated fat include red meat, dairy products, coconut and palm oils, and sources of trans fat include, deep-fried fast foods, bakery products, packaged snack foods, margarines, crackers etc.

Consuming a lot of fruits and vegetables is highly essential for a healthy heart. These don’t only prevent us from cardio vascular diseases but are anti-cancer as well! Furthermore, fish, especially certain kinds such as salmon and mackerel are wonderfully beneficial for the heart. Fish is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, a kind of polyunsaturated fat, which helps in lowering blood pressure, reducing risk of heart attacks and protecting against irregular heartbeat.  

Cut Down Your Salt Intake!

Research has shown for too much salt to be one of the most heart unfriendly diet supplements. the recommended level pertaining to salt consumption is 6 grams a day, anything over that can increase the risk of heart diseases by causing consistent high blood pressure. Add salt to your food while cooking, but try to keep your hands off the little salt shaker on your dining tables!

Exercise Regularly

Exercising is one habit that can help you in mammoth ways in keeping away from fatal heart diseases. Exercising can help control your weight and prevent you from developing certain other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, which may all put added strain on your heart. The beauty of exercising is that, so much so as a 30 minute exercise routine can be gold for the heart! Intense work outs are not mandatory, in fact, light weight aerobics, jogging, walking are all rewarding towards heart health!

Remember: Smoking Kills!

Smoking or usage of tobacco is one of the most known and significant contributors to heart diseases. This wretched habit can narrow the arteries by damaging the heart and blood vessels, which can elevate the chances of heart attacks. No justification is considerable when it comes to smoking. Low tar, low nicotine, or passive second hand smoking too for that matter, are just as hazardous.
The consumption of cigarettes in any amount can be lethal to the heart. It narrows the blood vessels, which in turn increases the heart rate and blood pressure. To be precise, smoking pushes the heart to work above its capacity, putting superfluous strain on it, and  increasing the risk of heart diseases.
But wait, do not lose all hope! Research shows no matter how much you have smoked in your life, quitting at any point can turn your life around. Within one year of quitting the body responds dramatically to the healthier change and the heart starts gaining back its efficiency. The very day you quit, will be the D-day for your heart!

Keep Your Weight in Check

High calorie, fatty food is a NO in so many aspects. Such foods put too much unnecessary strain on the heart, make us feel lethargic, fatigued and may also adversely affect our confidence levels and self image.  Men are considered to be overweight if their waist line is over 40 inches, and women if their waist line is over 35 inches. If you’ve hit these numbers, you know what to do! Hit the gym, or add more healthy foods such as fruits and veggies to your everyday diet plan, and refrain from high carb, high calorie, high fat indulgences. Soluble fiber can keep cholesterol low, present in hefty amounts in foods such as beans, peas, oats etc!

Relax

Stress has been known to have some role to play in heart diseases. There is no evidence as to whether emotional stress can cause heart diseases, but research has shown that it can prolong the disease, making it chronic. Emotional stress and physical stress can both be harmful. However, physical stress is compulsory in certain amounts, otherwise a coronary heart disease may be waiting on the other side. Moderation is the magic word here. Overdose of anything is not complementing. So, take it easy, work out, but if you are also mustering up a heart condition don’t intensify the workout routine, and in any case DO NOT quit on the workout routine at all!   

Regular Screening

Regular screenings of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels can tell you where you stand and where to go from there. Get these screenings done on a emergency basis if you are feeling insecure about your health. Without these numbers, you may not be able to tell if you are suffering from high cholesterol levels, sugar or blood pressure!