Heart disease is a leading cause of death. You can take plenty of other steps to lower your risk of heart disease. Its better to prevent health problems than to treat them for a long time, especially when it comes to heart health. The best prevention for heart diseases includes a proper diet, regular physical activity, and avoiding harmful habits.
“The risk for a heart attack can be decreased by 65 percent after quitting smoking”
Avoid stress and stay physically active. Experts warn about the impact of stress on heart health. To reduce stress, Hansen recommends:
Exercising regularly reduces your risk of having a heart attack. The heart is a muscle and, like any other muscle, benefits from exercise. A strong heart can pump more blood around your body with less effort. Actively rest outdoors Practice meditation Get good sleep Spend time actively with friends and family Engage in physical exercises.
It is crucial to eliminate processed foods from your diet to prevent insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Additionally, consume foods rich in Omega-3, such as salmon, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts, aiming for 1-2 grams of Omega-3 daily.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet
A low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, which should include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (5 portions a day) and whole grains.
You should limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day as too much salt will increase your blood pressure. 6g of salt is about 1 teaspoonful.
There are 2 types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. You should avoid food containing saturated fats, because these will increase the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood.
Foods high in saturated fat include:
- meat pies
- sausages and fatty cuts of meat
- butter
- ghee – a type of butter often used in Indian cooking
- lard
- cream
- hard cheese
- cakes and biscuits
- foods that contain coconut or palm oil
However, a balanced diet should still include unsaturated fats, which have been shown to increase levels of good cholesterol and help reduce any blockage in your arteries.
Foods high in unsaturated fat include:
- oily fish
- avocados
- nuts and seeds
- sunflower, rapeseed, olive and vegetable oils
Eating less than 25 grams of added sugar per day is probably the most important thing that you can do to improve your overall health and this includes reducing your risk of a heart attack.
A low-fat, high-fibre diet is recommended, which should include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables (5 portions a day) and whole grains.
You should limit the amount of salt you eat to no more than 6g (0.2oz) a day as too much salt will increase your blood pressure.
Keep your blood pressure under control
You can keep your blood pressure under control by eating a healthy diet low in saturated fat, exercising regularly and, if needed, taking medicine to lower your blood pressure.
Your target blood pressure should be below 140/90mmHg. If you have high blood pressure, ask a GP to check your blood pressure regularly.
