Ways To Improve Your Heart Health

Thursday, June 6, 2013, 14:27 [IST]

In this hectic life, we all need to look after our heart. Rising heart problems can trigger people of any age. Gone are the days when men and women in early 30's used to be protected by heart diseases. Unhealthy lifestyle, bad habits, poor diet, lack of exercise and stress has increased the chances of heart diseases among people in their 30's.
That is why, it is important to care for your heart and keep it healthy as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Following few heart healthy tips can be of great help. It keeps your heart pumping and protects it from diseases and blockages. Having a heart healthy diet by excluding bad cholesterol rich foods and including nutritious foods is one of the ways to improve your heart and keep it healthy.

Apart from having a healthy diet, you need to get involved in physical activities. Jogging, walking, running, swimming, cycling, aerobic and cardio exercises are healthy for the heart and overall body. So, if you want to improve and keep your heart healthy, follow the simple ways given below.

Simple ways to improve your heart health:

Exclude fatty foods

Fried foods are delicious, but bad for the heart. To improve your heart health, exclude fatty foods from your diet. Include healthy fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.

Control cholesterol

Bad cholesterol (LDL) is very bad for the heart, so it is important to control your cholesterol levels. LDL is one of the major causes of blood clots and heart attack.

Weight loss

It is very crucial to manage your weight. Being overweight increases the risk of heart diseases. So, slim down a little to stay healthy and active.

Workout

This is one important yet simple way to improve your heart and overall health. Workout regularly for at least 30 minutes every day to increase blood circulation and avoid cardiovascular diseases.

Stop smoking

This bad habit can damage your lungs as well as heart. Smoking increases the chances of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Yoga

Stress and depression are two major causes of heart diseases. Yoga relaxes your body, mind and soul. Practice yoga asanas to stay heart healthy.

Red wine

A glass of red wine is very good for the heart. It has resveratrol which prevents the blood clots, and also increases HDL cholesterol levels. A glass of red wine for women and two glasses for men a day are good to improve heart health.

Reduce salt intake

This controls your blood pressure and also protects the heart from diseases, so, improve your heart health by reducing salt from the diet.

Triglycerides

This is another type of lipid like cholesterol that is found in the blood. High triglycerides in the blood can increase the risk of heart diseases. Saturated and trans fat are rich in triglycerides so avoid them.