1. Diet Can Destroy Your Heart
Eating a healthy diet can be the best defense for heart disease prevention. You don't have to eat wheat grass, cut out meat and never have dessert again, but an overall pattern of healthy food choices is the goal. Eat a variety of foods from all the food groups. You want to eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish containing omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week, and less fatty, high sugar and refined foods.
2. Smoking Blows Your Chances
Smoking blows your chances of having a healthy heart. One of the top indicators of developing heart disease is smoking. The more you smoke the higher your chances are of having heart disease; there is no safe level of smoking. Smoking cessation programs are available in every state and many are funded by tobacco company dollars. Find one and take the first step to a longer life.
3. Cholesterol Counts
We've all heard about good cholesterol called HDL and bad cholesterols or LDL; both have a role to play in preventing heart disease. HDL actually helps remove LDL from the blood stream. LDL causes hardening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis, the main cause of heart disease. Your liver actually produces all the cholesterol you need, so reducing the amount of bad fat we eat is a primary goal in lowering cholesterol overall. Garlic, extra virgin olive oil and almonds are examples of foods that raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels.
4. Get Off the Couch, Exercise is Essential
It's simple. Exercise promotes a healthy heart and being a couch potato does not. Studies show that any exercise is better than none and getting small amounts throughout the day combine for a total benefit to your heart. Cardiovascular exercise, or exercise that gets your heart rate up to levels that burn fat, is most important. So get off the couch and move to prevent heart disease.
5. Weight Control and Calorie Counting
Weight control is a top predictor of whether or not you will develop heart disease. The best first step in maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight is knowing how many calories you need to eat and drink to maintain that healthy weight. You don't want to consume more calories than you can burn in a day. Your physician can calculate your calorie needs for a day; or, go to Internet sites that calculate them for you by asking questions about height, weight, activity levels and age.
