Improve Heart Health in Six Steps

By Georgia Lund, 11th Jan 2012 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/25s_mez_/
Posted in Wikinut>Health>General Health>Wellness

These six steps will improve heart health regardless of whether you already suffer from heart disease, are at high risk for developing heart disease, or if your ticker is in tip-top shape.

Cut Back On The White Stuff
Take A Walk
Adopt The Mediterranean Way Of Eating
Keep A Positive Attitude
Invest In A Home Blood Pressure Monitor
Stop Smoking

Cut Back On The White Stuff

Heart health

The white stuff is salt and sugar. Cutting back on the amount of salt and sugar in a daily diet will improve heart health. Salt increase blood pressure by causing the body to retain water. Sugar increases weight (which causes the heart to work harder), blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol.

Cutting back on the white stuff consumed daily, both in the form of processed foods (which contains vast amounts of salt and sugar) and cutting back on adding the white stuff to freshly prepared foods, heart health will be improved.

Take A Walk

A brisk daily walk improves heart health by helping to reduce weight, lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol. A daily walk will also help reverse a pre-diabetic condition back to normal.

Adopt The Mediterranean Way Of Eating

Much has been written about the Mediterranean diet, but it’s not a diet in the traditional sense for the sole purpose of losing weight, but rather a healthy way of eating which will improve heart health.

The Mediterranean way of eating emphasizes a daily diet containing lots of fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limiting the amounts of salt, sugar, red meat and refined grains.

Keep A Positive Attitude

Didn’t know an attitude adjustment could improve heart health? It can and does. Stressed out, angry people are at high risk for developing heart disease. Stress and anger releases stress hormones into the body making arteries susceptible to plaque. Being negative and angry also increase blood pressure and raises heart rates.

Make time to relax and distress daily, releasing the anger and negativity and be positive.

Invest In A Home Blood Pressure Monitor

Taking blood pressure at home gives a baseline, consistent and accurate reading of normal blood pressure levels and an early warning if something is wrong.

Stop Smoking

Smoking increases the heart rate and certain chemicals in smoke causes blood to clot more easily. Second-hand smoke does the same things as well.

Improve heart health by improving diet. Cut back on salt and sugar while adding more fresh fish, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Destress and replace the smoking habit with daily walks to help keep a positive outlook, and keep tabs on the ticker by taking blood pressure at home.

Originally written and published by me on Suite101 HERE

Meet the author

Georgia Lund
Ms. Lund is a freelance writer who enjoys gardening and sharing her knowledge through the Georgia Master Gardener program. Ms. Lund is a heart attack survivor who has educated herself in a variety of health, wellness and fitness topics. Ms. Lund is a...(more)