America’s Killer: Tips for Preventing Heart Disease
America’s Killer: Tips for Preventing Heart Disease
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Heart disease kills more Americans than any other health condition and can be developed at any age. Fortunately, there are things you can do in order to prevent the number one killer in America. Below are some tips for preventing heart disease and ideas for staying healthy.
Physical Activity
Exercise makes your heart stronger and also helps to lower your resting heart rate, which means your heart won’t have to work as hard. One of the many great things about exercise is that you don’t have to do a lot of it in order to benefit from it. In fact, you can benefit just by getting 2.5 hours of exercise in per week. Running, walking, cycling, and dancing are just some of the ways you can get some easy exercise in your day.
Many people take supplements before they exercise in order to get more out of their workout. Certain supplments can improve overall health and can help give you energy when you need a boost to motivate yourself for your next workout.
Check Your Blood Pressure
Keeping your blood pressure under control will help lower your risk of heart disease and has to be checked regularly, because you may not experience symptoms if it is elevated. High blood pressure puts strain on your heart, which is one of the reasons it is so dangerous. In addition to having your blood pressure checked at your physicals, you may also want to check it at home. Many people are nervous while they are in the doctor’s office, which can raise their blood pressure. This is a phenomenon known as white coat syndrome so home blood pressure readings may be more accurate in certain cases.
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Healthy Diet
Your diet can affect your risk of heart disease. While consuming foods that are high in trans-fat, sodium, and sugar can raise heart disease risk, healthy foods can lower it. It is best to fill your diet with lean meats, fruits, whole grains, and vegetables whenever possible. Nuts, seeds, and legumes are other healthy food choices you can choose from.
Lower Your Stress
Stress can increase your risk of heart disease and chronic stress can also cause a stroke, heart attack, or sudden death. There are many things you can do in order to reduce stress. Watching a comedy and having a good laugh, volunteering, and meditating are some of the things you can do to take your mind off the day to day, and give your responsibilities a rest. Try to avoid situations that make you irritated or anxious.
Do Not Smoke
People who smoke are 30 percent more likely to develop heart disease and if you smoke, one of the best things you can do in order to protect your heart is to quit. Keep in mind that being exposed to secondhand smoke can also raise your risk of heart disease.
Lose Weight if Necessary
Excess body weight forces the heart to work harder in many situations. It can also increase your risk of heart disease. Where you carry your weight is more important than how much you weigh. For example, studies have shown that being apple-shaped is more dangerous than being pear-shaped. Apple-shaped people carry more of their weight around their midsection whereas pear-shaped people carry more weight in their lower body.
Many people use fad diets to lose weight, but these only provide a temporary solution. Healthy eating, portion control, and exercise are the keys to long-term weight control.
A healthy lifestyle is one of the keys to preventing America’s top killer. Eating healthy, exercising, and keeping your blood pressure under control will reduce your risk. You should also avoid smoking and exposing yourself to secondhand smoke.
“Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information on healthy supplements for your workouts check out ASEA or contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.”
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