10 Steps To A Healthier Heart

Your heart is constantly working, so why not give your heart a “break” by focusing on a lifestyle that will promote a healthy heart!?

10 Steps To A Healthier Heart

1. Keep your Cholesterol low, aiming for less than 200 milligrams/deciliter and keep your Blood Pressure below 120/80. Garlic has been shown to reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

2. If you smoke, it’s time to quit the habit. Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

3. Eat more heart healthy fats such as  wild salmon, nuts, avocados, olive oil, and flax seeds. Studies show that consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 30 percent.

4.  Reduce the stress in your life. Take a break. Get a massage. Go on vacation. Meditate! Do whatever you need to do to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Stress has a negative affect on your heart and overall health.

5. Exercise! Physical activity is a huge factor when it comes to having a healthy heart. Aim for either 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous physical activity or 2 1/2 hours each week of moderate intensity exercise.

6. Get to – or maintain – a healthy weight. Those with a healthy BMI were shown to have less risk of heart disease.

7. Avoid fried, fatty, and sugary foods. Yep, they may taste good, but they aren’t doing your heart (or the rest of your body) any favors since these foods have been linked to heart disease, clogged arteries, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and the list goes on. In the long run, it’s just best to stay away.

8. Keep your glucose levels down.  You should aim to have your fasting blood glucose levels to be less than 100 milligrams/deciliter.

9. Eat more fiber rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, lentils, apples, tomatoes, carrots, pears, and squash (ok, just about all fruits and vegetables).

10. Limit the amount of sodium you consume each day! You should try to have less than 1,500 milligrams a day.

Get Started Today

Choose which step to work on for a healthier heart. You don’t have to try and tackle all of these steps today. Work on steps that are easier for you, and work on them one at a time. You’ll soon realize how good it feels to take care of the little muscle that works so hard to keep you going.

A healthy heart, a healthy you!

Feel free to follow us, however you like: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest