As you may know, a healthy heart leads to a long, quality life. But how many of us make efforts to take care of it. Surprisingly, the mortality rate due to heart-related issues is greater than the number of people paying attention to their heart health. What is even more surprising is that many heart diseases are preventable, provided you are ready to make some changes to your lifestyle and diet.
Switching to healthier diets, physical activity, and breaking unhealthy habits are the first steps toward a healthy heart. Significantly, improving your mental health will ensure that your heart will function normally. However, genetics and abnormalities may also affect heart condition and require you to visit a heart clinic. Here are some practical tips to look after your heart:-
- Eat healthy
Food is the fuel to the heart, so your diet should contain only essential nutrients, including minerals and vitamins. Precisely speaking, you should eat foods rich in fibre, antioxidants, and unsaturated fats and less in salt, sugar, and saturated or trans fats. Include fruits, vegetables, wholegrain, fish, herbs, and spices. Doing so will help reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.
- Quit smoking and alcohol
It is not only the lungs but also the heart that suffers the most from heavy smoking. The damage it causes to blood vessels can increase the likelihood of stroke or heart attack. Quit smoking as quickly as possible to save your heart from any complications. Similarly, drinking alcohol in moderation or avoiding it altogether will minimise the risks of elevated blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and damage to heart muscles.
- Get proper sleep
Taking enough sleep is another crucial tip to keep your heart healthy. Why so because inadequate or excess sleep can disturb the blood pressure, causing heart diseases. Cardiologists suggest taking 7-9 hours of sleep daily to decrease the burden on heart physiology.
- Do not take stress
Mental stress is one of the most dangerous foes of the heart, for it can dramatically alter blood pressure thresholds and speed up heartbeats. Worst, it could make you turn to smoke and alcohol. Manage stress at any cost by doing yoga or meditation.
- Start exercising
Physical exercising will strengthen your heart muscle and improve overall blood circulation. Also, performing aerobic and resistance exercises can lower your body weight and keep your heart from developing serious diseases.
As you can see, what you do in your daily life directly impacts how your heart will perform, so you should act carefully. You may also contact an Essex heart clinic for further clinical guidance. Taking care of the heart is not that tricky. By following these tips, you can experience significant improvements in your heart health.