September 29th is World Heart Day!
Your heart keeps you alive with every single beat. Here are some tips to keep your heart healthy and happy 😊
Eat plenty of vegetables: Fresh vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that help to regulate blood pressure and reduce strain on your heart muscle. They also contain antioxidants and fibre that keep the inner lining of your coronary arteries clean and free from plaque. Try to ensure that 50% of your calories come from fresh vegetables for the health of your heart and every other system in your body!
Eat plenty of good fats: Healthy fats come from olives and olive oil, nuts and seeds, fish, coconut, dark chocolate and avocadoes. Healthy fats help to boost HDL (good cholesterol) and reduce inflammation in the blood vessels supplying your heart with oxygen. Try to include healthy fats at every meal.
Keep moving! Physical activity, especially activity that forms part of your daily routine is very protective for your heart. Research shows that sitting for 8 hours a day can be as harmful to your heart as smoking a packet of cigarettes every day! You do not need to spend hours in the gym. Instead, set an alarm on your phone to prompt you to get up from your desk and go for a 5 minute walk every hour, take a few minutes to stretch, walk around when talking on the phone instead of sitting, park a little further from the grocery store so you walk a little further, take the stairs. Be mindful of the time you spend sitting and try to be more active during your day.
See the dentist! It might surprise you, but there is a direct link between poor dental health and poor heart health. Inflammation in the gums and infection in your mouth can lead to chronic inflammation in your blood and long-term heart damage. Keep your teeth happy, and your heart will smile too!
Don’t smoke. If you smoke… the best thing you can do for your heart and for your overall health is to quit. One of the most effective ways to stop smoking is to decide on a ‘Quit Date’, a significant day in your life when you agree with yourself and other important people in your life that you will smoke your last cigarette. If you contract with others that this day will be your last day as a smoker, you will feel more accountable and more motivated to keep your promise.
Get enough sleep. When you sleep your body has a chance to rejuvenate and repair. This is a time when your heartbeat slows and your blood pressure drops, giving your heart a well-deserved rest. If you don’t get enough sleep, stress hormones like cortisol increase in your blood which have the opposite effect – to increase your heart rate and strain on your heart muscle. Try to get into a regular routine so your bedtime and wake time are similar each day, this will keep your body in a regular rhythm and improve your sleep quality.
Downshift: Take some time to enjoy a little rest and relaxation. Whether that means a small nap on a Sunday afternoon, a relaxing stroll in nature, or an hour on the couch with a good book… you and your heart will feel better for it.
Wishing you a happy healthy World Heart Day!
#healthyheart
#lifestylemedcine
#worldheartday