words Al Woods
Your heart works relentlessly, 24/7, to keep you alive. With constant beating, your heart pumps one million barrels of blood throughout your body, to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and organs. Your heart works hard, and it deserves special care.
Do not take your heart for granted. It is your responsibility to be kind to your heart, and keep it healthy. It is not something difficult. You can easily take care of your heart by following certain simple rules. Let us take a look at what you must do to have a healthy heart.
6 simple rules to keep your heart healthy
1. Eat healthily
Healthy eating is the most important aspect of heart care. A healthy, balanced diet is something your heart looks for. Remember the following as you start a heart-healthy diet –
- Load your diet with vegetables and fruits, which contain all the essential vitamins, minerals, and a good amount of fiber.
- Switch to a whole-grain diet, which can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and also prevent type 2 diabetes.
- Limit saturated fats like butter, meat, dairy, and other processed foods. Switch to low-fat meat and dairy, and healthier fat like olive oil. Saturated fats increase the bad cholesterol in your blood, and thus could make you vulnerable to heart diseases.
- Limit salt intake to keep your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure can lead to heart problems. Cook foods with less salt, and avoid processed foods.
- Eat fish like sardines, mackerel, tuna, salmon, etc., as they contain omega 3 fatty acids that can protect against heart diseases.
- Chose nutritious foods, rather than foods with empty calories. East less sugar, as they provide a lot of empty calories, but no nutritional benefit.
2. Stay active with regular exercise
This is something your heart needs badly. Every day, exercise for some time to keep your heart healthy. You can run, dance, or simply walk, but do not remain seated being a couch potato.
Engaging in physical activities not only strengthens your heart muscle but also improves your overall circulation and oxygen use. To understand how lack of exercise can lead to cardiac issues, make sure to learn more about heart failure and increasing fatigue and how it can be prevented by staying active. In general, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily. It ensures that your heart functions efficiently and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
3. Maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is very important for your heart health, as research says that people who are obese, have an increased risk of a heart attack. When we speak about a healthy weight, it also means that you must not be underweight.
Keep a watch on your diet. A balanced diet and regular exercise can definitely help you to maintain a healthy weight, and thus you move one step forward to a healthy heart.
4. Reduce stress level
Stress is certainly not your heart’s best friend. In today’s hectic life, it is not easy to go stress-free. But stress is not only bad for your heart health, but it also leads to a number of other health issues. Try to minimize your stress level by simplifying your life.
You can reduce your stress level by following certain positive lifestyle habits – be organized, maintain a routine, finish work on time, exercise regularly, and of course, eat healthy to keep yourself fit. Maintaining a positive approach to life can help you handle your stress effectively.
Reduce stress, reduce your risk of heart diseases. Still, if you think you cannot manage the stress in your daily life, consult a psychologist. They can show you ways to deal with the stress of life.
5. Give up smoking
It has been observed that the risk of heart attack is twice in smokers than nonsmokers. Smoking leads to a build-up of plaques in your artery linings, leading to a heart attack.
Smoking causes damage to your entire body. There is not a single good thing that smoking does for your body, rather it is dangerous for your overall health.
Apart from increasing your risk of heart attack, smoking causes a number of other health problems like early menopause, infertility, lung diseases, pregnancy complications, and of course, cancer.
If you are a smoker, quit smoking immediately. Your heart will thank you for this. If you cannot quit smoking on your own, take professional help.
6. Opt for PEMF therapy
It’s a known factor that stress increases the risk of heart attack by aggravating your blood pressure. Hence, many therapists recommend using the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) therapy.
PEMF treatment helps you stay active by increasing mobility and range of motion. Using a PEMF machine regularly can also reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain. It can oxygenate every cell and improve the distribution of oxygen throughout the cardiovascular system.
Furthermore, PEMF therapy can reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by balancing the health of cells, neurons, tissues, and organs by utilizing PEMF instruments at a lower frequency for 5-10 minutes.
A 2014 research study published in the American Journal of Translational Research reported that this drug-free and noninvasive PEMF treatment could significantly improve cardiac function.
Another 2020 research study published in the Blood Pressure Journal revealed that PEMF therapy can significantly improve blood pressure at rest and during exercise, thereby reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. You need not visit the doctor’s clinic to undergo PEMF treatment. Buy a portable PEMF device for your personal use.
Final Takeaway
Besides maintaining a healthy and heart-friendly lifestyle, it is also important to keep a regular track of certain bodily parameters like blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, as these can increase your risk of heart diseases when going out of proportion.
So get yourself tested at a regular interval, and if detected with any abnormality, must consult a doctor, and take medicines if required. Remember, your heart is precious. Care for your heart, care for your life.
