The ultimate approach of living a happy and healthy life is to keep your heart hale and hearty. Heart-related diseases are responsible for the most number of deaths worldwide. The World Heart Federation (WHF) predicts over 23 million deaths from CVDs by 2030.
To understand the gravity of the issue, below are some daunting facts:
– Due to CVDs, one person dies every 37 seconds in the United States.
– 356,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year.
– Total costs of CVDs are expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2035.
– Obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, and smoking are the biggest causes of CVDs.
These facts and figures are witnesses that keeping our heart’s health dear to us should be our foremost priority as wonderfully summed up by Jennie Garth:
“It’s never too late to take your heart health seriously and make it a priority.”
Below are the most effective ways to improve and boost your heart-health without asking too much.
Smoking? A Big No!
We all are aware of the detrimental effects of smoking on our health. Our youth mostly consider smoking as an expression of reaching adulthood, and in most unfortunate cases, we observe minors opting for this injurious activity.
Smoking does not only destroy your cardiovascular health, but it also harms your lungs, eyes, reproductive organs, and digestive tract. Smoking causes plaque buildup in your arteries that narrows your blood vessels resulting in disruption of blood flow.
Quitting smoking may sound unsettling, but a strong will power linked with preparation for abandonment and relapse can do miracles.
Effective Weight Management
Obesity is one of the significant reasons for unhealthy cardiovascular health. It leads to several risk factors that ultimately contribute to heart-related diseases. These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and strokes.
If you are overweight, you are more prone to heart-related problems. The art of weight management is the balance of diet intake and regular exercise to maintain the desired Body Mass Index (BMI).
Adopt Healthy Eating Habits
A healthy diet plan is a cornerstone of having better heart-health. Remember, eating a lot does not mean that you are eating healthy. The healthy diet consists of all the essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and energy boosters.
You can adopt the following tips for healthy eating:
– Include more fiber in your diet
– Eat more vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and whole grains
– Reduce salt intake
– Make complex carbohydrates your friends
– Keep yourself hydrated and drink sufficient water
Be More Physically Active
Being active is directly proportional to leading a happy and healthy life. Maintaining a regular exercise routine helps you lose weight, improve your cholesterol, and keep you physically fit and active.
The idea is to keep the activity as fun and engaging as possible so that it compliments your lifestyle. If you are comfortable with walking only – a 30 minutes session every day is enough. However, the American Heart Association recommends adapting to 40 minutes of moderate physical activity for 3 to 4 days per week.
Live Stress-free
Stress distresses our lives, both physically and mentally. The stats show that anxiety is the cause of 80 percent of diseases. According to the American Institute of Stress, 77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health.
Dr. Deepak Bhatt director of the Integrated Interventional Cardiovascular Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital states:
“Stress does cause some people to act in ways that increase their risk of heart disease.”
Here are some points that you should consider to fight-off stress from your lives:
– Lead an optimistic life
– Exercise regularly
– Meditate and cleanse your inner-self
– Disconnect and take time off
– Consult an expert
Stop or Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption is not good for your overall health by any means. Liquor usage contributes to more than 60 medical conditions, including liver damage, depression, high blood pressure, and strokes.
Excessive drinking can lead to cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, and increased risk of heart attack and stroke. It is therefore, recommended to either stop or reduce the amount of alcohol intake, and you will see positive changes in your body.
Let Plants Protect your Heart
Last; but, not least advice would be to shift to a plant-based diet completely. A research report from the Journal of Family Practice confirms that heart diseases can be dramatically improved, and even reversed by a plant-based diet.
According to a study conducted by researchers in the UK revealed that vegans had a 22 percent lower risk of heart disease.
Switching to a plant-based diet have the following benefits:
– Such a diet is rich in fibers, vitamins, and minerals.
– It reduces the risk of high blood pressure.
– Helps you maintain optimal weight.
– Reduces the risk of diabetes.
The Conclusion
Better heart health links with altering your lifestyle by adopting good habits and letting go of the unnecessary ones. A robust cardiovascular system assures a healthy life.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you follow these bits of advice to keep your heart dear to you. Because, in the end, your heart is all that matters to lead a happier, healthier, and evergreen life.
