|
|
American Heart Association For all the latest news about your health.
10 Steps to a Healthy Heart
By keeping your heart healthy you can spend even more time with your loved ones.
Start today with
these 10 easy-to-follow tips.
It's never too late to love your heart.The
good news about cardiovascular disease is most of it can be prevented. Heredity does play a role and you
may have a higher incidence of developing heart disease, but many of the lifestyle behaviors you choose can
decrease your risk of this disease. Your genes can't be altered, but your behaviors can change.Taking care of your heart
can make a lifesaving difference, not only for yourself, but for your family. There are many simple behavior choices that
can really make a difference in your life. Below are some heart-healthy tips to help reduce your risk;
you are probably already doing many of them and not even aware of them. Educate yourself and apply what you learn.
10 Steps to a Healthy Heart
1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Eat a
variety of fruits and vegetables; try five or more servings a day.
2. Eat a variety of grain products and complex
carbohydrate foods. Focus on whole grains and legumes. 3. Choose low-fat and fat-free dairy products
every day (two to three servings). 4. Eat a variety of protein foods. Don't
just include one protein type; balance your intake of lean protein sources such as fish, skinless poultry and lean meats.
Include fish varieties that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines. Vegetable protein
sources count, too. 5. Limit foods high in saturated fat and trans fat and/or cholesterol mostly found
in products such as full-fat milk, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, desserts, sweets and
many packaged foods. If you use added fat, choose monounsaturated fats such as olive oil and canola oil. By eliminating high
saturated fat foods, you are also cutting down on cholesterol as well (cholesterol and saturated fats can be found in several
of the same food items). 6. Eat plenty of fiber foods daily. Just to name a few, try bran, oatmeal,
legumes, fruits and vegetables. 7. Manage your weight. You don't need to be the perfect size,
but by reaching and maintaining your best weight, it will help. Obesity is a major factor contributing to heart disease. 8.
Feed your body regularly. If you skip meals, you are more likely to overeat. By eating more frequently throughout
the day, your blood-sugar levels are controlled better; you speed up your metabolism and regulate your cholesterol levels.
9. Exercise. The more movement the better. Exercise helps to improve blood flow,
strengthen the heart muscle, reduce blood pressure and raise your good cholesterol (HDL). 10. Stop
smoking and limit alcohol intake.
By following these 10 tips to a healthy heart, you
are taking yourself farther down the road to a healthier heart.
Love Your Heart At Any Age
It is never to early to start loving your heart. You can do this
by eating a healthy diet, and doing regular exercise, but, other aspects
of your health are simply due to the stage of life that you are in.
Age,
however, can be just a number. There are too many incidents that occur at
age 35 and younger. Make it an important aspect to know your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers
starting in your 20's. Keep an eye on your calorie count - and eat a healthy and balanced diet recommended by the USDA.
The more you protect your heart, the less likely you'll face the life-threatening
challenges of cardiovascular disease. You can start to take action and get healthy right now. From walking
with your friends, to sharing healthy recipes, and learning your family history, your heart health depends
on a life-long commitment.
Stop Smoking TODAY!!
Smoking is so bad for your heart and lungs. There
are over 4000 toxic chemicals in cigarettes. Four thousand!! They are habit forming and addictive, always
with undesirable consequences. It turns your lungs black! Most smokers also don't realize the odor that they carry on
their clothing and on their breath. But that's the least of the side effects. Still from a former smoker I have little
tolerance for the odor.
Fifty one chemicals in cigarettes are known to be carcinogenic.
A carcinogen is something that causes cancer. Cancer is a disease that often kills those who have it. There
are many types of cancer: breast, lung, larynx, stomach, prostate, kidney, leukemia (cancer of the blood), etc.
I have several loved ones that smoke. They are very close to my heart.
One of them is my own daughter! She'll be upset that I mentioned her in this article but, I will never stop trying to
find ways to make her quit. I love her too much!
Chemicals in cigarettes and cigarette smoke are known to cause not only cancer but also other
serious health problems. Many of the chemicals are poisonous. If a person ate one pack of cigarettes, he/she would die. Listed
below are some of the toxic chemicals that are found in cigarettes.
Chemicals
in Cigarettes
Chemical / Found in: carbon monoxide / car exhaust hydrogen cyanide / gas
chamber poison nicotine / bug sprays tar / used to make roads arsenic / rat poison ammonia / cleaning products hydrogen cyanide / gas chambers cyanide / deadly poison acetone / nail polish remover butane / lighter fluid DDT / insecticide formaldehyde / to preserve dead bodies sulfuric acid / car battery acid cadmium / used to recharge batteries freon / damages earth's
ozone layer geranic acid / a fragrance methoprene / a pesticide maltitol / a sweetener not permitted to be used in foods in the U.S. Horrifying isn't it!
Cigarette smoking also causes heart disease. It narrows your hearts arteries and limit the blood flow
to the heart causing it to work harder. Most people will die a premature death from heart disease which is directly linked
to smoking.
The good news is that if you stop smoking now, your lungs could be clear in about 3 years. Gone will
be the constant cough you have along with the frequent colds. There are several new medicines available today to aid you in
breaking the habit.
Try new Cigarrest, guaranteed to stop you from smoking in just 7 days. Click the link
below to get your free trial offer.
Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
Some of your cholesterol is made by your body. The food you eat is responsible for the rest. Food products
from animals contain cholesterol — including meats, poultry, shellfish, eggs, butter, cheese and whole or 2 percent
milk. And any type of food can also contain saturated fats and trans fats, which cause your body to make more cholesterol.
The USDA recommends that you keep your intake of total
fat to between 25 percent and 35 percent, your saturated fat consumption to less than 7 percent and your intake
of trans fat to less than 1 percent of your total daily calories. At
the same time, limit your intake of cholesterol from food to less than 300 mg per day. People with high LDL (bad) blood
cholesterol levels or who are taking cholesterol medication should consume less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day. Eat at least 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber each day — preferably from
whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. To combat high
blood pressure and for overall cardiovascular health, limit sodium to 2,300 mg or less per day. Some people
— African Americans, middle-aged and older adults, and people with high blood pressure — need less than 1,500
mg per day. And if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation (no more than one drink a day for women, no more than two for men). But a heart-healthy diet isn't just about what you shouldn't
eat. It also means eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, with whole grains, high-fiber foods, lean meats and poultry,
fish at least twice a week, and fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products. Also, the diet should be low in saturated
fat, trans fat and cholesterol. By learning to make smart
choices — whether you're cooking at home or eating out — you can enjoy flavorful foods while you manage your
cholesterol.
|
