It’s all a matter of the heart, but, in the end, it’s your heart that truly matters. Knowing what’s good for your heart is basically the first step to living a disease-free life.
According to a survey performed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in association with the American Cardiovascular Association, nearly 610,000 individuals die each year due to heart disease ranging from atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and heart failure.
As a result, the Health Authorities have posted numerous guidelines regarding what an individual should do to take care of his or her heart. Physical exercises and dieting are among the most popular pieces of advice given away freely by physicians all over the country, but there are other things you could try in order to have a healthy heart.
We only have one heart, so we must do our best to treat it well. Here are a couple of tips and tricks for a healthy heart.
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Be Sure to Get Plenty of Sleep.
Sleeping has always been an important issue when talking about cardiovascular diseases. Also, the act of sleep doesn’t just affect the way your blood pump works, but it also accounts for other functions.
Did you know that during the REM sleep cycle, which is also called deep sleep, your body conducts major cellular repairs? Moreover, during your sleep cycles, your body automatically regulates the blood pressure.
Although everyone is different when it comes to sleeping habits, the medical specialists have agreed that a healthy individual needs at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep) can have a massive psychological and physiological impact on our bodies.
According to a study published by the University of Chicago in 2008, sleep deprivation is intimately related to hypertension. So, the bottom line idea is that if you don’t get much sleep, it will be increasingly harder for your heart to manage the blood flow.
The best piece of advice any physician can give you is to get plenty of rest.
Stop Smoking
Smoking is widely considered one of the most damaging heart stressor out there. If you plan on keeping your heart as fit as a fiddle, then you must know that smoking is a big no-no. The compounds found in cigarette smoke like benzene can damage both your heart and your lungs.
The act of smoking ups the risk of some of the most severe cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and atrial fibrillation. Furthermore, smoking can also increase the likelihood of potentially fatal heart strokes.
Thus, if you care about the health of your heart, you should think about quitting. If you can’t do it on your own, you can always seek your doctor’s opinion or use medical devices like lozenges, nicotine patches or nicotine gum.
Alternatively, if you do suffer from one of the medical conditions mentioned above, you should definitelyseek medical advicein your area, to manage your disease.
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Sexual Activity
Get to play around with your significant other some more. Sexual activity, apart from burning away those extra calories, can also help maintain the health of your heart and actively protects you against cardiovascular diseases.
S*x is also a good painkiller and a muscle relaxant. A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology stated that men and women who engage in sexual activities at least two times per week have a lesser chance of developing a cardiovascular disease.
Squeeze in Some Omega-3 Fatty Acids
For a healthy heart, you should also get plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids. What is Omega-3? According to the medical literature, Omega-3 fatty acids are a class of unsaturated fat (the good type of fat), that actively contribute to our body’s welfare. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial in the fight against cholesterol.
Moreover, Omega-3 reduces the risk of plaque formation and stroke. Fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and doctors recommend at least two servings of fish per week. Alternatively, you could try some Omega-3 table supplements.
Plenty of Exercise
To be truly healthy, you must stay fit, and to stay fit, you must do plenty of physical exercises. Exercising is, without a doubt, a very crucial aspect. Not only can exercising keep us in shape and burn away the extra calories, but it can prevent many diseases, heart-related conditions included.
Exercising doesn’t necessarily refer to hitting the gym five times a week. Keep in mind that you don’t have to make some inhuman effort just to stay healthy and in shape. Take a 30-minute walk after lunch, or go for a brisk walk during the evening.
You can always add some cardio exercises in the morning, like running around the block for half an hour, and maybe a couple of stretches. Riding the bicycle is also considered a good exercise for the cardiovascular system.
No Salt
We all like our food well-seasoned. This means that besides spices, we also use a lot of salt. A pinch of salt now and then is no big deal, but seasoning every food you have with a large quantity of salt is a big problem.
Each year, excess sodium accounts for many cardiovascular diseases like coronary disease, hypertension and heart stroke. The best way to go is to eliminate salt altogether or use other spices and ingredients in order to add flavor to your food.
For example, if you like your dishes well-salted, you can try to swap salt with anchovy fillets. You’ll get the same taste and some extra smokiness on top.
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