According to the American Heart Association, the best tips on heart health are those that encourage eating a healthy, low-fat diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, quitting smoking if necessary, and maintaining normal blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels. Regular medical check-ups that include routine lab work will help determine any lifestyle changes you need to make to maintain your heart health.
Follow a Heart-Healthy Diet
Eat a wide variety of whole-grain foods, legumes, vegetables and fruit. Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean cuts of meat and poultry without skin. Eat oily fish, such as salmon and trout, at least twice a week. Avoid products made with added sugar, and add little or no salt to your food. Read food labels and ingredient lists to avoid products that contain partially hydrogenated fats or oils.
Exercise Regularly
The American Heart Association says you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by getting a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of strenuous exercise every week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous exercise that results in approximately 30 minutes of exercise on most days. The best exercises for heart health are aerobic exercises such as jogging, biking and swimming.
Watch Your Cholesterol
Get your blood checked so you know your cholesterol levels. Take action to maintain total blood cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or less and LDL cholesterol levels of less than 130 mg/dL. To reach or maintain healthy cholesterol levels, avoid saturated fats and trans fats in your diet, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. It is also important to monitor your blood cholesterol levels by getting routine check-ups to be sure these lifestyle tips on heart health are enough to manage your cholesterol. If not, your doctor may recommend cholesterol-lowering medication.
Check Your Blood Pressure
Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm/Hg, and anything higher puts you at risk of damage to your heart and other organs. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the best tips for reducing blood pressure or maintaining normal pressure include following a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough exercise, managing stress and quitting smoking.
Monitor Blood Sugar
According to the Franklin Institute, an American center for science and technology education, more than 80 percent of people with diabetes die from heart disease or a related blood vessel disease. The risk is greatest when blood sugar is not well controlled. Maintain a healthy weight and eat a balanced diet, have your blood checked and, if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, work with your doctor to take any other steps necessary to control blood sugar.
