Your heart is not just a blood pumping machine, but also provides your cells with oxygen and nutrition which is vital for your body. An unhealthy heart means a decline in your overall health. Not taking care of your heart increases the risk of stroke and heart diseases such as atherosclerosis (narrowing of arteries). It’s never too late to start again. Thus now is the time to bring changes in your lifestyle to make it healthy and to protect your heart against diseases.
Below, you will find some beneficial tips and tricks to prevent a stroke or a heart attack as suggested by experts in the field. Make sure to read thoroughly to understand and implement the ways correctly.
- A healthy and nutritious diet
The food you eat decides your health for you. Eating junk food on a daily basis which is high in sodium can increase the risks of migraines and headaches. High levels of sodium can raise your blood pressure, affect fluid balance, and stiffen your arteries. As a result of high blood pressure, one can get a heart attack. The risks, therefore, are high.
Hence the expert’s advice is to eat a healthy and balanced diet which is low in saturated fat and sodium such as fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, and beans. It will minimize the risk of damaged arteries and heart attacks.
- Keep yourself hydrated
Not drinking enough water can adversely affect your overall health. Being dehydrated means you lose the ability to clearly think throughout the day, can have frequent mood swings, and it can even lead to the formation of kidney stones. But how does it affect your cardiovascular system?
When we do not drink enough water, the amount of blood in our body decreases. To make up for that, our heart begins to beat faster than normal, resulting in high blood pressure which maximizes the risk of a heart attack. In a dehydrated body, the blood thickens due to retaining more sodium and making it difficult for the blood to circulate around the body. The experts at U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest that on average, a male should drink 15.5 cups of water a day and a female should go for 11.5 cups.
- Quit smoking
Smoking can not only speed up the ageing process but also leads to many diseases such as stroke, cancer, heart diseases, eye diseases, and diabetes. The chemicals in a cigarette, especially nicotine, narrows the arteries, increases blood pressure, heart-rate, and hardens the arterial walls which can even result in death.
If you are addicted to smoking, it is high time you realize that it is bad for your heart and body. Consult your health advisor to find out ways by which you can get rid of this unhealthy addiction. Make sure that you are not a secondhand smoker as well since it can also badly affect your health.
- Keep your mind at ease through meditation
Life surely has its ups and downs and it is impossible to not feel restless at times. But taking stress and not managing it will only worsen the situation for you as it can trigger cardiovascular problems in the short-term. In such situations, meditation helps. Various studies on the subject have shown that meditation can notably improve your heart’s health.
So take some time out every-day (10-15 minutes are enough) to meditate as it will reduce stress levels and improve your heart rate. Experts suggest that people who meditate regularly have lower risks of stroke, heart diseases, and diabetes.
- Lessen sugar intake
Anything if eaten in excess can have its side effects. If we talk about high sugar intake, we take into consideration the consequences it has. It adversely affects our heart health by causing inflammation in arterial walls, making them stiff, and leading to a heart attack. If we consume a lot of sugar, we have a high chance of developing type 2 diabetes, which puts us at risk of dying of a heart disease.
To control your sugar in-take, try avoiding processed foods and sugary drinks like soda. Do not surrender to your sugar cravings. Keep reminding yourself that it is not healthy for your heart which keeps you alive.
- Exercise
The benefits of exercise are unlimited. It keeps your body fit, improves your sleep and mood, energizes your body, helps in managing weight, and minimizes the risks of developing mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. One of the most significant benefits of exercise is that it improves the heart rate and lowers the blood pressure.
It is thus very important for us to do physical activity regularly in order to protect our heart and body against chronic diseases and to improve our mood. Exercising can also help us focus on things and think clearly which reduces the burden of stress on our hearts.
- Keep your cholesterol levels in check
Elevated low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL or bad cholesterol is one of the major causes of heart diseases. It reduces the blood flow and amount of oxygen that your body needs by causing the build-up of fats within the arteries.
Saturated fats can increase the levels of bad cholesterol in your body and put you at risk of a heart attack. Try to eat more foods which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as whole grains to lower the level and to increase HDL (good cholesterol).
- Get enough sleep
Sleep deprivation not only affects your cognitive capacities and capabilities but also makes your body prone to developing disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea. It can also elevate your heart-rate, stress levels, and blood pressure.
Make sure to follow a sleeping schedule and if you want to have a comfy sleep through-out the night, do check out Casper mattress Australia.
You can always make the best and important decision to change your lifestyle and make it healthy. Do not delay the decision and keep your health at risk. Your health should come above all.