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Heart Health: changes you can make to your lifestyle and general health to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Having a healthy heart is essential to your wellbeing. The heart is the hardest working muscle in the human body; it is always working and pumps roughly 2,000 gallons of blood a day. Such an essential muscle needs to be taken care of and with certain changes in lifestyle and diet, your heart and you can start to feel much healthier.
 Heart disease is one of the biggest killers of men and women in the United States and yet most of the causes of heart attacks are preventable. The main cause of heart attacks is a build up of fats and cholesterol in the arteries. Over time this build up, known as plaque, can break open and cause blood clots to form around the plaque area in the artery. This prevents the flow of oxygen rich blood to the heart and the heart muscle begins to die.

What changes can be made to have a healthier heart?

Diet

Seeing as a major cause of heart disease is the build up of cholesterol and fats in the arteries, this should be a clear indication that heart disease is directly related to diet. High cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure are all causes of heart disease and can all be altered by a change in diet.

Clinical research has shown that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, fresh vegetables, olive oil and garlic can significantly reduce your chances of suffering from heart problems. Omega-3 is present in fish such as tuna, salmon and halibut and it can also be taken in tablet or liquid form.

 The majority of nutrients that promote a healthy body and heart are lost when food is over-processed. Ground grains found in most breakfast cereals and breads, sugars found in soft drinks and fast foods all increase the risk of heart disease. Unprocessed foods are essential to heart health. Not only are they essential, they also taste better as well.

Active lifestyle

An inactive lifestyle is a major cause of high blood pressure and heart complications. Exercise helps your heart by strengthening the muscle and also making it more efficient by improving the flow of blood to and from the muscle.
 The most effective exercise for your heart is aerobic exercise. This can include swimming, walking or bicycling. It is recommended that this exercise be performed for 20-30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week. Exercising every other day is a great way to create a routine that is easy to follow.

 You should consult with your health care provider before doing exercise if you have an existing heart condition. Also watch for shortness of breath and dizziness, if you experience these side effects you should stop exercising and consult with your health care provider.

When you begin your exercise routine it is important to take things slowly and build up to the recommended amount. If you stick to this aerobic routine and work out constantly and gently, it will decrease your heart rate, reduce your blood pressure and improve your breathing, not to mention your general wellbeing and energy levels.

Smoking

 If you smoke cigarettes, you greatly increase the chances of heart disease or failure. This is a risk factor that you can control. If you currently smoke, do your upmost to quit. Your health care provider can inform you about the support programs and treatments that will greatly improve your chances of becoming smoke free.

 A clogging of the arteries is the main cause of heart attacks and cigarette smoking speeds up this process by damaging the cells that line the blood vessels and heart. Studies have proven that heavy smokers are up to four times more likely to have a heart attack than a nonsmoker.

A year after a person stops smoking, the risk of heart disease is cut by one half and after 15 years, that risk will be nearly equal to that of a nonsmoker. Do not feel that switching to a low-tar or low-nicotine cigarette will decrease your chances of heart disease. There is little difference between these and regular cigarettes.

 All of these heart health issues are preventable. If you feel as though you suffer from poor diet, lack of exercise or you smoke cigarettes, you should take every possible step to change this. With conscious effort and determination you can improve your lifestyle. You can feel better, live better and look better.

 

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