TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART WITH THESE EASY TIPS

Human heart is one of the vital organs of the body that work nonstop all through the life. On an average a human heart beats 2.5 billion times in an average span of 66 years. So, a healthy heart is the way to a healthy and long life.

But, apparently hectic schedules, lifestyle changes, changing food habits, smoking, alcohol, and stress are taking a toll on the health of our heart. According to Dr. Ashwani Mehta, senior consultant cardiologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital around 2 million heart attacks cases occur in India in a year and the majority of the victims are young. This is alarmingly high.

You got just one heart, however likely it is that you have given it to someone else by this time, it doesn’t mean you should stop taking care of it. The secret lies in your lifestyle, which can make your heart stronger or weaker, depending on the type of habits you have developed.

Here are the few healthy habits that you can incorporate into your daily routine to ensure that your ticker keeps on going strong:

  • Regular Health Checkup

The good health of your heart is in your own hands. Schedule a heart check-up every year with the doctor to get your cholesterol levels, glucose levels, and other necessary tests done. Remember, prevention is better than cure. Based on the reports of the tests you have undergone, check with your doctor if anything is there that needs to be taken care of. If you have a personal health insurance, it might cover the cost of the yearly checkups. Private health insurers like Apollo Munich offer expert advice to their customers and services like, medical checkups, and many other tips to stay healthy throughout the year.

  • Be Active

Being active is essential for a healthy heart. The sedentary lifestyle is the greatest adversary that your heart may face. A 30 minutes’ walk in a day, or mild exercise can do a lot to keep your heart safe from all its enemies. There are many things you can do like- walk, yoga, workout, Zumba, gardening, jog to stay active.

Regular physical activity helps in maintaining an ideal blood pressure, keeping the weight under control and increasing the amount of “good” cholesterol level in the body.

  • Drink Enough Water

Water plays a vital role in keeping your body hydrated and maintaining the blood flow. Drinking at least 3 liters of water in a day will take your dear heart towards a long way to its well-being.

  • Quit Smoking

Everyone knows that smoking is injurious to health (read the statutory warning on your cigarette pack). Smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. The prolonged addiction to nicotine can harden the arteries, aneurysm, and create blood clots. So, it is imperative that you quit smoking for the love of your heart as well as the lungs. The positive impact of quitting smoking can be seen immediately. In fact, the blood pressure and the heart rate decreases in the first few days itself.

  • Cutting Down on Use of Common Salt

On an average, a person should not consume more than 1500 milligram of sodium in a day. It helps in lowering the blood pressure. Consuming sodium over the recommended limits can lead to excess fluids in the body, which makes the heart work overtime.

It is just not the consumption of the salt that counts for your sodium consumption. In fact, the processed food has an alarmingly high rate of sodium content. So, replacing the processed food with green vegetables, fresh fruits, lentils, beans, and fresh produce can help you in checking your sodium intake.

  • Manage Your Stress Levels

There are so many things that are going in the life these days that you tend to take stress. Keeping up with the social, professional as well as personal commitments can stress you out, which starts taking a toll on your personal health. It can cause pain and aches in the body, anxiety, dullness, and can even lead to depression.

This whole emotional turmoil can get you into bad habits of drinking alcohol or overeating. It can also interfere with your blood pressure and cholesterol. So, you need to control the stress levels in your life by letting go off some of the less-important things in life.

Spending some time meditating, reading self-improvement books, deep breathing, reconnecting with old friends can immensely help to keep your stress level in check.

  • Stay Positive and Happy

Being positive and staying happy is also very good for the health. It increases the blood flow to your heart by 22% and even prevent arteries from hardening. Do not panic and lose hope, if the things are not falling into the right place in your life. Stay positive and keep believing, it is just a temporary rough phase and it too shall pass.

So, a few changes in your daily habits can help you get a healthy heart and a longer life. However, it might take time to get adapted to this new lifestyle but not impossible.

References:

http://www.uwhealth.org/go-red/10-ways-to-take-charge-of-your-heart-health/10543

http://insidecolumbia.net/2015/02/19/5-ways-to-take-care-of-your-heart/

http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/tips/ten-ways-to-keep-your-heart-healthy_13929.html