Heart to Heart – 5 Proven Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Let’s talk heart to heart.

The reality is that you in your lifetime, you will have relatives that will die because of a heart ailment. According to WHO (2015) – the leading cause of death globally is coronary heart disease. It is a condition where the supply of blood to the heart is narrowed or blocked due to cholesterol. It affects everyone, regardless of income status, geographical location, and age.

One factor that contributed to this epidemic is how we live our lives. Due to our lifestyle choices, many of us fall into this heart trap, slowly putting ourselves into a position where our hearts are out of order and not only us, but the ones closest to us suffers.

But the good news is that this sad ending is preventable. Heart diseases, while deadly is preventable. And what’s better is that the ways to make our hearts healthier are not rigorous, expensive or even life draining. It is in fact the opposite! Let’s look at the 5 proven ways to keep your heart healthy:

Watch your diet

While that may sound like a kill joy, many of the food we eat aren’t really tasty, or even healthy. We choose to eat them because it’s convenient. However, watching your diet will help a lot in order for your heart to stay strong and healthy. Here are some of the foods you can enjoy that your heart will love:

Tea – There is no downside to tea. Tea contains catechins which helps to build antioxidants in the body that lowers cholesterol. Fun Fact – it also reduces the risk of cancer. Two birds in one stone.
Fiber rich foods – vegetables and whole grain are fiber rich foods, they are healthy and they minimize the risk of getting any bad cholesterol to your heart.
Feast on Fish – Fish contains omega 3 fatty acids. This helps your heart by reducing triglycerides in the body and it also helps your heart not skip a beat!

Stop Smoking

Smoking doesn’t really do anything good to our bodies. It literally does no good to us whatsoever. It’s a matter of addiction, and if you want to live long, quit. Get help if you have problems quitting.

Maintain an Active Lifestyle

Most of us work inside cubicles, sitting in the front of the computer and spending hours and hours sitting. While it may look good, since we are not sweating and we do not feel physical fatigue, a sedentary lifestyle will cause more harm than good to our hearts. Start exercising in order to keep your blood flowing and your metabolism up. If you’re busy, you can try walking every time you take a break, park a little bit farther from the office, or just intentionally spend 10 – 15 minutes of walking. It will do wonders for your heart!

Laugh

Studies show that those who are happier tend to live longer. There are studies that link our emotional behavior and our cardiovascular system. Laughing may make our blood flow and reduce the risk of hardened arteries, but more than that, happiness is truly a wonder drug.

Sleep

Have you had enough sleep lately? Rest is vital in order for our bodies to keep healthy. Remember this principle, if you don’t take a break – you will break. Sleep at least 6 – 7 hours a day in order to give your body a chance to heal itself and get you ready for the day ahead.

The heart of the matter

You are in control of how healthy your heart can be. Your heart is the centerpiece of your body – keep it healthy and you will surely be able to make moments last forever.

About The Author

To Kris, life is an awfully big adventure so she lives it day by day. For her, we must learn from the past, live with the present and aim for a great future. She is an Oleia user.