Did you know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in America today? As we get older, it’s important to take steps and precautionary measures to prevent this from happening. Read more about how you can prevent heart disease at any age with these 6 tips.
1. Don’t smoke
The first step to preventing heart disease is to stop smoking. Smoking not only raises your risk for heart disease but also cancer and lung diseases. It can increase your blood pressure, damage blood vessels, and speed up the hardening of the arteries. Of course, quitting will lower your cholesterol levels, reduce plaque buildup in arteries, and reduce your risk for a heart attack.
Learn more: How to Unclog Arteries Naturally.
2. Manage your weight
If you’re overweight, losing just 10% of your body weight could lower your cholesterol significantly. Every pound of weight loss can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure or diabetes by 2-3%. However, if you reduce the amount of cholesterol in your blood but your weight returns to what it was before, you’ll likely lower your cholesterol somewhat. Remember, the number on the scale is only one part of the equation — making sure that what goes into your mouth is healthy and low in fat means just as much for preventing heart disease as does shedding pounds. Although heart attack symptoms in women can be different than men, it’s really important that men and women both take precautions like exercising and eating healthy.
3. Eat well
A diet filled with foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein can reduce your blood pressure. It causes weight loss, which reduces the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. It also changes the way your body metabolizes fats. The end result is that you’ll be improving your cardiovascular health before it even begins to show up on any tests. There are many centers as well that provide a natural cure for heart disease in Denver now, helping you take control over what you eat and more.
4. Get regular exercise
Exercise reduces the risk of developing heart disease by making it easier for your heart to pump blood throughout your body, which decreases strain on the organ. It also helps make HDL (the good cholesterol) more effective. Aim for 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise (such as walking, running, swimming, or bicycling) and two strength-training sessions per week.
5. Reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels
For many people, medication is the key to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Although there are no dietary changes that affect LDL (bad) cholesterol levels significantly, eating foods high in soluble fiber can help reduce your “bad” cholesterol by binding with it and carrying it out of your body.
- Manage stress
When you’re under a lot of stress, your body produces the hormone cortisol. Unfortunately, people tend to eat more foods high in unhealthy fats when they are stressed. That weight gain increases both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. So, make sure you get enough sleep (at least seven hours a night) and work out to reduce your stress level.
Prevent heart disease by following these six steps now, even if you plan on changing your smoking habits later when you are older.
