Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States today. In fact, one person dies every thirty-six seconds in our country from heart disease; it’s responsible for one in every four deaths.
These facts sound scary because they are. However, keeping our cardiovascular system running in tip-top shape is something else that we actually know a lot about. Keeping your heart healthy is something that you can do if you educate yourself and put your mind to it. Heart disease doesn’t have to be a threat to you.
If you’re wondering how to keep your heart healthy, you came to the right place. In this informative post, we’ll give you eight simple things that you can do to help keep your heart going as strong as it can be.
How to Keep Your Heart Healthy: An Eightfold Approach
Eight steps to a healthy heart may seem like a lot at first, but chances are that you are doing some of these things already. Simply add the others to your lifestyle and routine. Knowing how to keep your heart healthy isn’t difficult or confusing. You just need to make healthy habits and stick to them each and every day. You’ll want to do this long before you experience any warning signs.
1. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Perhaps the very best thing you can do to support your cardiovascular system is to maintain a healthy weight. When you are overweight, your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood. When you stay within your recommended weight range, you’ll be giving your heart a break every hour of every day.
2. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
Eat healthy fats and avoid trans fats. Our bodies need saturated, polyunsaturated, and unsaturated fats, but we do not need trans fats. Trans fats clog your arteries and again, make your heart work harder. You should keep your salt intake low, too.
3. Exercise
Exercise is another thing that is great for your heart. According to most experts, adults should get at least one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate exercise every week. Don’t forget stretching and weight training also.
4. Quit Smoking & Drink in Moderation
Smoking and heavy drinking are not good for you; everyone knows this. Yet, many people still have one or both of these bad habits If you want a healthy heart, you should quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke as well. You should also cut back on your drinking; one drink a day is plenty.
5. Get Enough Sleep
People who don’t sleep enough or sleep well are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease. Make sleep a priority. Be sure to get seven or eight hours of sleep most nights.
6. Manage Stress
Stress and anxiety can raise your risk for heart disease or stroke. Take care to manage your stress levels through exercise, meditation, counseling, or other healthy outlets.
7. Take Care of Your Teeth
People with gum disease or other dental health issues are often at a higher disk for cardiovascular disease. In many cases, this is due to the fact that the lifestyle causes of both are similar, and the fact that the bacteria that causes gum disease can raise your risk of heart disease. Brush your teeth twice a day at least.
8. Drink Tea
According to the American Heart Association, one to three cups of green or black tea may lower your risk of heart issues. Brew up a few cups and enjoy them each morning for positive long-term results.
Keep Your Heart Healthy – Every Day
It’s important that you think about your heart health every single day. Now that you know how to keep your heart healthy, you surely understand that it is an ongoing process. However, if you stick to this eightfold path to heart health, you will be able to enjoy amazing long-term results. Good luck and keep at it!
If you want to read more great posts about health and fitness, check out our Health & Fitness section.
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