 |
| Love Your Heart |
A
healthy lifestyle will make your heart in good condition. Here are 10 tips
you can do to improve yours.
Get active
Do
150 to 200 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio workout every week. One way to
achieve this target is by doing at least 30 minutes of workout on five days a
week. Fit it in
where you can, such as by cycling to work.
where you can, such as by cycling to work.
Manage your weight
Being
overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Regularly check your
weight. Have a well-balanced low-fat diet and high in fruits and vegetables,
combined with plenty of physical activity.
Eat 5 A DAY
Eat five
portions of fruits and vegetables a day. Add dried fruit to breakfast cereal,
and add vegetables to your pasta sauces and curries.
Eat oily fish
Eat
oily fish thrice a week. Fish such as sardines, fresh tuna, mackerel,
and salmon are a rich source of omega-3 fats, which can help shield against
heart disease.
Ditch the salt
To
keep a healthy blood pressure, discontinue using salt at the table and try
adding less to your cooking, or cut it out totally. Check the food labels – a
food is high in salt if it has more than 1.5g salt (or 0.6g sodium) per 100g.
Cut saturated fat
Small
variations to your food intake can have positive health benefits. Choose
semi-skimmed over full-fat milk, leaner cuts of meat, and steam or grill
foods rather than frying.
Drink less alcohol
Alcohol
can be fattening. Alcohol supplies what nutritionists often refer to as empty
calories: calories without nutrition. To make matters worse, it is the first
fuel to be used when combined with carbohydrates, fats and proteins, postponing
the fat-burning process and contributing to greater fat storage.
Read the food label
When
shopping, look at the food label on food packaging to see what the product
contains. Understanding what is in the food will help you make healthier
choices.
Give up smoking
Smoking is one of the foremost
causes of coronary heart disease. It damages the function of your heart and the
structure and function of your blood vessels. A year after giving up, your risk
of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.
Walk off stress
Stress
itself is a risk factor for heart disease, it could be because chronic stress
exposes your body to unhealthy, persistently elevated levels of stress hormones
like adrenaline and cortisol. If you're feeling under pressure, clear your mind
with a walk. It will help put your ideas in order and reduce tension. If
it's a brisk walk, it will also count towards your daily activity.
 |
| - A Healthy Heart is a Happy Heart - |
No comments:
Post a Comment