Monday, November 22, 2010

Top 10 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

Heart disease has killed millions and it may continually do so if we do not pay attention to our health habits, our lifestyle and the food we eat. What is sad about heart disease is that, it can take a life silently without symptoms.
So if you want to stay healthy, enjoy a healthy life, and reduce your risk of having heart attacks and stroke, find ways to prevent heart disease. This disease is a preventable one, so there should be no reason that you can't find ways to avoid it.
1. Know the risk factors. Being informed is important in preventing heart disease and in any diseases generally. If you are aware of the risk factors, the causes, and what can lead you to heart problems, you will of course find a way to avoid it as much as possible.
2. Get a regular exercise and try to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercising is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease, a good way to lower down blood pressure and a way to maintain a healthy body. High blood pressure or hypertension is often a precursor to heart problems as well as other diseases, thus always maintain a healthy blood pressure by regular exercise.
3. Eat healthy. Know what you can do with your diet to make it heart friendly and healthy as well. Opt for a variety of vegetables and fruits in your diet and cut down on fast foods, deep-fried foods as well as foods that are high in fats.
4. Quit smoking. Smoking does not only increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, it can also bring about some serious health problems and respiratory diseases. If you are serious about wanting to have a healthy heart and a healthy body as well, then find ways to quit smoking.
5. Watch out for saturated fats. Also one of the top ways to prevent heart disease is to stay away from saturated fats in your diet. You can find these in dairy products, coconut oil, palm oil, chocolate, beef, fatty meat, butter, ice cream even processed meats, sausage and bacon. You can always read the label at the back of the product and check out how much saturated fat it contains.
6. Cut down on salt. Salt has been known to increase your risk of heart disease and thus, it is often necessary to watch how much salt you have in your food. Not just about table salt but also check out the sodium contents of your processed foods. Reduce salt in your diet by also avoiding processed foods and opt for fresh vegetables and fruits.
7. Watch out for trans fat and other hidden fats. Trans fat is often found in baked products as this is usually used to lengthen the storage life of the bread. You can however find breads labeled with no trans fat if you can't avoid bread in your diet.
8. Add more Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet. Omega 3 can be found in fishes and is said to be good for the heart as it helps decrease the risk of abnormal heart rates and may also help in reducing blood pressure.
9. Lose weight if you are overweight or obese. Most people who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of having heart attack and stroke, thus if you want to lessen your risk of heart attacks and you want to stay healthy, shed off those extra pounds the natural way.
10. Don't forget to have a good laugh. Laughter can indeed be the best medicine and can also be one helpful tip in protecting your heart from diseases, so don't forget to have a good laugh once in a while.
Start with these simple tips and ways to prevent heart disease and you will eventually enjoy its benefits for a long time.
Carolyn Anderson is an advocate of healthy living. To learn more about how you can protect your heart from heart disease, check out reverse heart disease . Also check out exercise to drop blood pressure, where you can find details on the exercises that will help you end hypertension and avoid heart disease.

No comments:

Post a Comment