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6 Simple Ways to Boost Your Heart Health
Heart health doesn ’ t happen by itself and it usually doesn ’ t happen overnight . There are some decisions you can make today that can start you on a path towards having a healthy heart . Here are six things you can do today to boost your heart health so you don ’ t fall victim to heart attacks , strokes , or peripheral vascular disease :
W O R D S B Y L A U R A P A L M E R
1 . Look through your pantry . There are things you can eat that will increase your risk for heart disease , just as there are things you can eat that will reduce your risk of heart disease . Check your pantry for foods that are high in cholesterol , such as meats , high fat dairy products , and certain processed foods . Processed foods are also high in bad fats , such as trans fats , although the US government has made progress in reducing trans fats in the foods you purchase . Look for foods that are high in dietary sugar and replace them with low sugar foods and foods that contain no sugar . Instead of red meat , you can choose fatty fish , which are high in omega 3 fatty acids , which are considered heart healthy . Instead of cakes and cookies , you can satisfy your sweet tooth with whole fruits , which are high in dietary fiber and antioxidants , which have health benefits you can ’ t get through eating low fiber , high sugar foods .
2 . Start an exercise program . This means getting off the couch and getting out there to do some form of aerobic exercise . Aerobic exercise is particularly good at increasing your heart rate , increasing your respiratory rate , and lowering your blood pressure . You should aim to exercise in an aerobic exercise about 30 minutes per day on most days of the week . Aerobic exercises you can do include brisk walking , running , jogging , using a stair-stepper , bicycling , and swimming . Swimming is especially good for people who want to exercise but cannot tolerate the wear and tear on the joints . You should also consider doing some kind of weight training about two days per week . Weight training tones muscles and increases your basal metabolic rate so that you can burn calories more effectively , even without exercising . You should make exercise a family affair so you can do things as a group and reduce all of your family ’ s risks of heart disease . 3 . Schedule a blood sugar screening . You can reduce your risk of heart disease by having your blood sugar checked for the presence of diabetes or pre-diabetes . Both conditions can be detected by doing a fasting blood test . Values of blood glucose that are between 100 and 125 on a fasting basis mean you have pre-diabetes and should follow your blood sugars more closely so you don ’ t develop diabetes mellitus . Fasting blood sugars of 125 or more mean you have diabetes and must do things like lower your blood glucose levels such as eat a low sugar diet , exercise , and take medications to reduce your blood sugar . Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease but it is a risk factor you can reverse if you follow your doctor ’ s instructions .
4 . Schedule a sleep study . If you are told that you snore , you may be suffering from sleep apnea , which is a known risk factor for heart disease . When you have sleep apnea , you stop breathing during your sleep and wake up suddenly , gasping for air even though you don ’ t remember it in the morning . Sleep apnea will raise your blood pressure during the day , not to mention that it makes you tired during the daytime . If you are effectively diagnosed with sleep apnea and undergo treatment ( which can mean using continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP , or make steps to reduce your weight ), you can lessen your risk for heart disease and can have a better quality of life . 5 . Reduce your stress level . Stress will raise your blood pressure and your heart rate , both things that cause you to have an increased risk of stress on your heart . You can reduce stress by avoiding those things that cause you to be stressed and can learn the art of several stress-reducing practices , including meditation , yoga , tai chi , and qi dong . Some of these practices have more benefit to your body besides reducing stress , such as increasing flexibility , strength , and balance . 6 . Schedule a cholesterol check . Cholesterol in your bloodstream can cause a buildup of cholesterolcontaining plaques that increase the risk of blood clots that can cause various types of heart disease . You can lower your cholesterol by eating foods low in cholesterol and saturated fats , or by taking medication that will lower your cholesterol level , keeping heart disease at bay .
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