Taking Care of Your Heart Daily

** In collaboration** 

Keeping our heart healthy can help in general with our well being and should have priority in the way you live your life. There are something’s you can do that will assist you in achieving this aim, and soon after starting them they will just a normal part of your daily life.

Eat Healthily

Most people realise that there are some foods that are bad for your health and that you should make your diet a healthy one if you do not want to suffer heart problems. You can start by controlling the portion size of your meals as this will help to reduce the amounts of anything you eat that are bad for you. Overloading your plate is not good and if you could eat the side dishes that you would be served in a restaurant that will do the trick. At first, you may feel a little deprived but it can be amazing at how quickly you will get used to eating smaller meals.

Include plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet. They are full of vitamins and minerals as well as being rich in dietary fibre. They contain ingredients that can help to stave off heart problems and if you eat more of these you may be less tempted to snack on higher calorie foods such as snacks and desserts. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit handy and you can snack on that if you get peckish, or have some vegetables washed and prepared in your fridge.

Fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables are good for mealtimes but avoid ones in creamy sauces or in tins with a lot of syrup.

Whole grains, such as whole-wheat flour, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, oatmeal, and whole-grain bread can help to regulate your blood pressure, which in turn will help the health of your heart.

Everyone needs some fats in their diets but you should reduce the number of unhealthy ones. Always trim the fat off meats, for instance, and have low-fat products when you can. The fats in things like olive oil, vegetable and nut oils, and in seeds are all good fats, but leave things alone such as lard, bacon fat, cream sauces and the cocoa butter used in making chocolate.

Protein wise you should stay with products that do not have a lot of fat with them. Skimmed milk is just one example, but eggs, fish, skinless poultry, and meats with the fats all taken off are also good sources of protein. Avoid full0fat milk, hot dogs, sausages and organ meats such as liver.

Keep your intake of salt and sugar as low as you can as many foods have these in naturally without you adding any more when you are preparing your meals. Remember though, an occasional treat of something you really like but is not so good will not do so much harm if most of the time you are eating a healthy diet.

Some people also include something such as an aspirin in with their daily eating routine, but there can be problems with these irritating your stomach. Although from a heart point of view they are good, you would be better off taking Cartia, which has a specially formulated coating to stop this happening. It’s just as effective, so you have nothign to worry about.

Get Enough Sleep

Every adult should have 7-8 hours sleep each night, as a lack of it is not good for your heart. Sleeping too little can cause all sorts of health problems both physical and mental, but research has shown that those who do not sleep enough are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

If you have trouble sleeping try turning of smartphones and TV an hours before bedtime, and then your brain will have started to calm down and be more ready for sleep.

Exercise

If you have become a couch potato you are not doing your heart any good at all. It is unhealthy just to sit for hours on end and much better if you do some exercise. Start off with something gentle such as a short walk, and as you get used to that you can make it a bit longer and quicker. If you are not keen on walking there are no end of other ways to exercise. You could join a gym, take up dancing or go to your local swimming baths.

If you think you do not have time for exercise, make it part of your daily routine. Instead of using the car to go to your local shops, walk there instead. Use stairs instead of lifts and escalators or maybe just get off the bus one stop earlier on your way to work.

As well as being good for your heart, exercise makes your body release endorphins, which send feel-good messages to your brain. This means that you will not only be helping your heart but also exercise will lift your mood.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is bad for and nor many people would disagree with that, but stopping it can be easier said than done. However, there is much help available from over the counter preparations to support groups and help from your doctor. Make use of the things that can assist you to stop smoking for a healthier heart and bank account.

You should also try to avoid second-hand smoke as that can also do a lot of damage to your heart. If you have a blood pressure or a cholesterol problem, smoke can harm you even quicker.

Other Benefits

Introducing these things into your way of life will have other benefits as well as a healthy heart. It will be simpler to control your weight, and in fact, there stands a good chance you will lose some if you are carrying excess fat. You will feel better in yourself and will have more energy and be more alert.

You may look at the tips above and think it is impossible to change your life so much. Start with just one thing and when you are used to that introduce another. Trying to do everything at once can be a recipe for disaster, but small steps will make it all easier to cope with.