How to Help Keep Your Heart in Good Condition
American Heart Month, every February, is dedicated to raising awareness about heart conditions and how to treat your heart better – and live longer! Despite being generally preventable, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Fortunately, there are easy lifestyle choices to make for maintaining good cardiovascular health.
Get Physical
Being physically active every day is fun and can improve the function of your heart. Plan and schedule opportunities for active play, for example, taking a 15-minute walk around the office on your lunch break or giving your dog an extra-long walk in the mornings. Whether you hit the gym or take up a new exercise class every week, it’s important to maintain plenty of exercise throughout the week.
Eat More Heart-Healthy Foods
There are certain foods that are heart protective because they contain omega 3 and other healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients that help to keep heart tissues healthy. Up your intake of ground flaxseed, oatmeal, black or pinto beans, raw almonds, walnuts, and brown rice. There are also many heart-healthy fruits and vegetables, such as orange vegetables, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, and blueberries.
Lower Your Cholesterol
When there’s too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a form of heart disease. Too much cholesterol can lead to heart attacks and strokes because the blood cannot flow through the arteries properly. Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal products (meat, eggs, and dairy). The best diet for lowering cholesterol is the vegan diet, with no animal products at all. Studies have also shown that replacing animal protein with soy protein reduces blood cholesterol levels, even when the total amount of fat and saturated fat in the diet remain the same.
Get More Sleep
Too little or too much sleep can be bad for the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease. Sleep washes away any negatives from the day before and helps you feel charged up and ready to go for the next day. Aim to get 8 to 10 hours of good quality sleep every night.
Take Time to Relax
Stress does the body no good. At least once a day, if you can, go outdoors and connect with nature. Whether you take a hike, sit in the park, or enjoy the outdoors for 10 minutes on your break, stepping outside can help to alleviate stress and allow you to relax.
How are you treating your heart right from this month onwards? Let us know! Be sure to contact us at AimPro insurance for all of your insurance needs in Phoenix, AZ.
