3 Awesome Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy

Contributed by Ryan Peterson.

Heart health is one of those seemingly mythical areas of medicine for the layperson. We cannot see our heart in the same way we can see our skin, our limbs, and our waistlines, so we aren’t sure how best to improve our heart health. When we eat a more nutritious diet, we see our waistline shrink, and if we try out a new moisturizer, we can feel a new softness to our epidermis. With heart health, we may try different ways to lower our risk of cardiovascular problems, but we cannot see the impact. Regardless, you should still do everything in your power to keep your heart healthy.

Eat Well

Although it may seem obvious, the food we put into our bodies has a profound impact on our heart health. We need to eat a variety of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables. As a rule of thumb, each color signifies a different antioxidant, so it pays to try and eat the rainbow every day. Nuts are the superfood of choice for the heart. Instead of reaching for a candy bar which is loaded with fat and refined sugars, the unsaturated fats in walnuts and almonds can help keep cholesterol low, decreasing chances of a heart attack.

Oily fish are exceptional sources of omega-3 fatty acids which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

If your cholesterol is high, you may be prescribed statins to help it reach a safer level. Taking statin medication does not mean you can eat whatever you want. You must still eat a nutritious and balanced diet. You may also opt to try and change the way you age with new natural supplements to help promote heart health.

Walk

Even if you don’t do much exercise, getting outdoors and taking a half an hour walk each day gets your blood pumping and helps your lungs get the workout they need. If you can exercise for longer or add variety to your jaunts outside, consider a leisurely bike ride or walk up a hill to really get your heart working. Remember, your heart is a muscle, and it needs to be worked to keep it healthy.

De-Stress

In the twenty first century, it can be hard to switch off from the business of our modern lives. Work might be stressful with an overbearing boss and ridiculous deadlines to meet. Sometimes we have financial worries or personal relationship problems. If you find things getting on top of you, you might fancy looking into mindfulness courses or yoga classes to help focus your breathing and alter your mindset. Focusing on the present rather than worrying about what might or might not happen in the future can keep your stress levels in check, your blood pressure low and your heart healthy.

Keeping your heart healthy is relatively simple if you are proactive and committed. Eat well, partake in some physical activity every day, and keep your stress levels in check to promote positive heart health.