Heart disease is the number one killer in world according to the Centre of Disease Control and Prevention. You must have heard about a healthy diet being good for your heart as well as waistline, but that’s not enough and you need to look into your overall lifestyle to achieve your goals. There are many things you can do and the most important one is changing your lifestyle habits. Below are few pointers:
Get moving: Physical activity plays important role in keeping you healthy and improving blood circulation which automatically reduces the pressure from the heart. Regular exercise helps in speeding up weight loss, and that’s vital because obesity can increase the risk for heart disease. Not only that, but staying active helps in reducing high blood pressure too which benefits your heart and overall health.
If you aren’t a fan of exercise or intense physical activity, then try yoga as that can help you improve your balance, flexibility, and strength. It can help you relax and relieve stress and improve heart health. The basic idea is to get up and get moving. Try and avoid sitting in one place for more than an hour, and instead, walk or do light stretching.
Hydrate well: Dehydration causes strain on your heart. Our blood circulation decreases when we are dehydrated. A hydrated heart is able to pump blood more easily, allowing the muscles in your body to work better. Hydration also improves overall bodily functions and detoxs easily.Control Sodium: Eating too much sodium or salt for long periods have shown to increased the risk of high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Try and switch to rock salt or Himalayan pink salt to keep your sodium levels in check.
Self-control: Start getting disciplined. Try and avoid alcohol and smoking. Mindful eating is really important because what you intake either makes you healthy or takes health away. Focus on healthy fats like Omega3 over deep-fried foods.Sleep: Sleep insufficiency is linked to various diseases like increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.People with less sleep have elevated blood levels of stress hormones which indicates inflammation leading to cardiovascular disease.
Stress: If you are stressed, your body releases chemicals such as cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline), which prepares your body for action that is the fright mode. Chronic stress builds up in body and starts acting up by reducing your sleep, making you more anxious. In such situations, the heart beat too increases. It’s okay if stress comes and goes, but if it stays there it can cause various issues in the body, one of is cardiovascular disease. Reduce stress with the help of deep breathing, meditation, pranayama and yoga.