1 in 3 people get heart disease and when they find out about it---it’s often too late. Heart disease is a mostly preventable disease and nothing stops you from taking steps to avoid or even reverse the risks right now. The following 3 tips are the best known ways you can avoid a heart attack, or worse -- death.
1. Be Active, Stay Active.
Maintaining an active lifestyle that includes exercising on a regular basis is the number one way to protect your heart. The American Heart Association has established recommendations that include a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. The organization also states that you can exercise vigorously for 75 minutes each week to protect your heart's health. For the best results -- and to help you fit exercise into your busy schedule -- engage in some exercise for 30 minutes a day for at least five days each week. Need motivation? Starting by taking the stairs, walking with a friend at lunch, or parking a little further away from the building and increase from there!
2. Avoid Dangerous, Artery-Clogging Fats
Avoid processed foods. Eat more plant based foods and get plenty of monounsaturated fats from clean sources such as avocados. Cook with high quality virgin olive oil or avocado oil and less with butter. Eat less red meat and more fish.
3. Get Your Weight and BMI Right
Being overweight makes your heart work harder without ever getting a break -- unlike when you exercise. Losing weight means that your heart is not as stressed and overworked. A good indication of your weight is your body mass index (BMI). Aim for a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9. Getting in that exercise mentioned above can help you reach this goal quickly.
The above are easy to implement into your everyday lifestyle and provide you with a baseline to get started. You’ve probably already incorporated some of these into your routine. Taking these easy steps now can help you improve your heart health in the future.
See also, The 4 Signs of A Heart Attack:
http://www.unitedvoice.com/the-4-signs-of-a-heart-attack/
Source Links:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/13/health/women-heart-health/
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sponsor-story/2015/02/06/tri-health-heart-health/22689775/