Tips for a healthy heart
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Here is a morbid fact. 40% of death cases around the world are caused by severe heart diseases. In the United States alone, heart diseases kill almost 2,600 people a day – that means one death for every 33 seconds. Our heart, which is an essential component of life, must always be ensured of good health. Remember that with its every pump, life is given and assured. If it stops working, then we will die. Caring for the heart means putting an extension to your life, as almost half death cases today is caused by heart diseases. Our hearts can feel – it knows when it is no longer needed. As you do bad habits that may affect your heart, your heart tries to tolerate as much of it, but due to limitations, can also result to clogging, and eventually heart attack. It is true that certain factors, your genetic composition for instance, affect the condition of your heart. Most heart ailments are hereditary. Yes, you have no ability to control your destiny, but who says that you cannot do something about it? Respond to your heart’s needs. Follow these simple guidelines to achieve a healthy heart. Needs Of The Heart And How To Provide For them 1. Understand body language. It is important to know the symptoms of heart illnesses for this may just save you. Understanding the language of your body is necessary in order to avoid worst case scenarios – the worst is death. Chest pains for minutes, sweating, shortness of breath and nausea are come of the most common symptoms of heart ailments. Be watchful. 2. Proper diet. Make healthier choices of foods. Proper diet has a very big role in preventing not only heart ailments but most body diseases as well. This simple method has always been the most common recommendation of doctors today. * Foods high in fiber. Always include in your diet fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables and grains. Fibers help lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart diseases. The advisable amount of daily consumption is between 25 to 35 grams. * Foods rich in beta-carotene. Carrots, Sweet potatoes, broccoli, seaweeds and cabbage are some examples of beta-carotene rich foods. Beta-carotene is an important component of nutrition which reduces the risk of stroke by up to 40%. * Vegetables. Your two meals per day must at least comprise one-half of your plate. Nutritionists and medical doctors give importance to the great benefits of vegetables to man. Dark leafy vegetables like the broccoli and spinach is high in fiber and folic acid essential for normal blood circulation. Orange vegetables like carrots, on the other hand, contain phytochemicals which help reduce bad cholesterol. * Sea foods. Eat sea foods at least once or twice a week, two servings per day. Salmon and tuna, specifically, contain the healthy omega-3 fatty acids which may reduce the risk of heart failure. * Garlic. Believe it or not, garlic strengthens the action of your heart and boosts your immune system. Several cloves a day, whether raw or lightly cooked, reduces platelet clotting thereby minimizes the risk of heart attack and stroke. * Less animal protein. If possible, try to consume less beef, pork, chicken or turkey because too much animal protein also means too much cholesterol. It is better to grill, broil, or steam your meat first to take away excess oil, instead of the traditional deep-fry. * Less saturated fats. Excessive amount of saturated fats contribute to clogging in the arteries of your heart – in this event, your blood level will increase, adding to the risk of stroke. Foods high in saturated fat include butter, bacon, whole milk and cream. 3. Exercise. A good exercise at least three times a week is enough to ensure the proper functioning of your heart. Exercise aids in burning out excessive calories – cholesterol and fats. It also relieves stress and tension which weakens your heart. Do some aerobic exercises. This strengthens your cardiovascular system as more oxygen is supplied to the muscles during this activity. You have a variety of options like walking, bicycling, dancing, swimming and jogging, so choose what exercise you can do best. 4. Tobacco-free living. One out of five deaths is caused by tobacco. Nicotine contributes a lot in many life-threatening illnesses of today, including heart attack and certain cancers, so you must avoid or eventually stop the habit if possible. Sunflower seeds may help stop your craving for nicotine, so try to consume a few grams daily as you minimize you cigarette intake. 5. Alcohol regulation. Though medical researchers say that a moderate intake of alcohol may be beneficial to your body, it is still best to avoid it to prevent possible addiction. Keep in mind that 100 to 200 calories of alcohol contains fat which is risky to your heart’s health. 6. Love and be loved. Touch therapy has been proven effective even by medical doctors today. Most near-death cases are miraculously given another chance of survival because their loved-ones provides them too much support and hope that they can win their life back. Human beings unknowingly have the ability to heal themselves. So enjoy your life! Be with your loved ones and touch them.
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