Taking care of your heart is an important part of keeping yourself healthy overall, being able to continue to live an independent and quality life, lowering your risk of experiencing an untimely death and reducing your health care costs. There are many specific things you can do throughout your life to change from unhealthy habits to heart-healthy habits.
Basics
Heart-healthy habits become easier as you learn to make them a part of your life. Heart-healthy habits include lifestyle choices, healthy eating and a commitment to exercise. For children, learning heart-healthy habits early on can help them make healthy decisions throughout their life.
Significance
Incorporating heart-healthy habits into your life will help reduce your risk of a number of chronic and life-threatening disease, such as stoke, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and an early death.
Considerations
While healthy eating and exercise are crucial for heart health, other habits are also important.
Brushing your teeth at least twice a day is an important habit to engage in that will help keep your heart healthy. Poor oral hygiene can increase your risk of developing heart disease because the buildup of bacteria on your teeth can contribute to heart disease.
Make it a habit to get regular, quality sleep for at least eight. According to a study published in the "Journal of the American Heart Association" and reported on the American Heart Association website, teenagers who don't get enough quality sleep regularly may increase their risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease later in life.
Assistance
You doctor should be a part of your heart-healthy habits. Getting regular check-ups with your doctor can help diagnose problems early. According to MayoClinic.com, adults should have blood pressure checked every two years and cholesterol levels checked every five years. Follow your doctor's recommendations and bring any concerns to her attention.
Tips
Increase your heart health by getting 45 minutes of exercise at least five days each week. Eat whole-grain products and avoid white breads, white pastas, white rice and products made with them. Get to a healthy weight. Stop smoking. Consume at least 25 to 30g of fiber per day. Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, flax seed and fatty fish. Limit the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Avoid foods with trans fats. Try to get most of your dietary fat in the form of monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Drink alcohol in moderation or not at all.
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