Heart health is important, since many people die of heart attacks every year. Most heart attacks have serious consequences even if they are not fatal. You have to take a great deal of care once you’ve had one and it can totally change your life. But by following these 10 simple tips, you can keep your heart much healthier and avoid having a heart attack.
- Reduce or give up smoking. Smoking is very bad for heart health since it reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. It not only increases the risk of heart attack, but of other baddies such as stroke.
- Manage your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fatty substance in the blood that sticks to the walls of your arteries, preventing blood from flowing freely through your heart.
- Watch your blood pressure and take medication to reduce it if it’s too high. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. It’s dangerous because you can’t feel anything wrong. It is wise to have your blood pressure checked every time you go to a chemist. It’s usually free.
- If you have diabetes, your risk of heart attack is higher. Always follow the doctor’s orders to best manage your diabetes.
- Exercise is an important part of staying healthy. If you have a sitting down job, try and get up at least once an hour to stretch your legs and get the blood flowing to keep your heart healthy and prevent deep vein thrombosis. Go walking, cycling, dancing or swimming. Play in the park with your kids. Take up gardening.
- Keep your weight down by exercise and by eating healthy foods – and amounts. Obese people are more at risk of heart attack. You may need help to get weight down to an acceptable level if you’ve tried and failed to lose weight.
- Replace bad fats from meat with good fats from nuts and seeds – cook with olive oil.
- Have less salt in your diet. Once you lose your taste for salt, many of the things you may once have enjoyed will taste too salty. The same goes for sugar. It’s an acquired taste we can do without.
- Reduce alcohol consumption to increase your health.
- Be social. Oddly enough, people who are social are less likely to suffer from depression. People who are depressed or stressed are more likely to suffer from heart problems.
If you are worried about your health it is wise to consult a medical doctor who will do some tests and advise you how to get or remain healthy. Generally speaking, exercise and a healthy diet are the main things to remember, but heart disease can be genetic so it’s a good idea to have regular health checks.