Here are some
tips for a healthy heart!
1. Stop smoking. Quitting
smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to live longer. If
you are a smoker, you are twice more likely to have a heart attack than a
non-smoker. But from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack
starts to reduce. With public smoking bans recently introduced, there has never
been a better time to give up.
2. Cut down on
salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of
developing coronary heart disease. Avoid foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned
and packet soups and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies,
pizzas and ready meals. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy
also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye on these too.
3. Watch your
diet. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease,
and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should
try to have a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables,
oily fish, starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice. Avoid foods
like biscuits, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in saturated
fats and sugar.
4. Monitor your
alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and
also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a
heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one to two units a day.
5. Get active.The heart is a
muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently
round your body with each heartbeat. You should aim for 30 minutes of moderate
intensity exercise a day. If this seems too daunting, start off gently and
build up gradually. Keeping fit not only benefits your physical health - it
improves your mental health and wellbeing too.
6. Manage your
weight. The number of people who are overweight in is rising fast - already more
than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. Carrying a lot of
extra weight can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of
life-threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. If you
are overweight or obese, start by making small, but healthy changes to what you
eat, and try to become more active.
7. Get your blood
pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your GP. The higher your
blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. People with high blood
pressure run a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of
cholesterol in the blood - produced by the liver from saturated fats - can lead
to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your risk of coronary
heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help
lower your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high-fibre foods such as
porridge, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
8. Learn to
manage your stress levels. If you find things are getting on top of
you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this may
increase your risk of a heart attack.
9. Check your
family history. If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary
heart disease from smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of
physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too.
10. Make sure you
can recognise the early signs of coronary heart disease . Tightness or
discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert
yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can
lead to a heart attack if left untreated.
Source : British Heart Foundation
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