The heart is the most powerful and arguably, the most important organ in your entire body. And, in line with this, heart disease is noted as being the number 1 cause of death worldwide. While some heart-related illnesses are hereditary, a significant percentage are caused by lifestyle. With the right knowledge and support, it is fully possible to strengthen the health of your heart naturally. In this blog, we’ll look at how simply lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact.
Exercise More
The heart is a muscle. Just like how squatting will increase the strength of your legs, so will exercise help to strengthen the heart too. The increased heart rate and blood pressure you experience during high intensity training delivers more blood to your heart. Your blood vessels enlarge, supplying more blood and oxygen to the muscle. And, over time, it leads to a stronger and healthier heart. The best type of exercise for this means is aerobic – go for a brisk walk, run, swim or cycle.
Quit Smoking
Smoking increases your chance of blood clots due to the changes it makes on blood platelets. Overtime, they become easier to clump together, forming blockages along your arteries and increasing the risk of a heart attack. Significantly reducing or quitting smoking over time lowers your risk of atherosclerosis as well as reducing the chance of death due to other chronic illnesses.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are overweight, looking at the excess weight can lessen your heart’s workload. It reduces the risk of fat build up that can clog your arteries and improves the blood fat levels in your bloodstream. Losing weight also lowers blood pressure, improves your levels of HDL cholesterol and cuts the risk of developing plaque around the coronary arteries.
Improve Your Diet
Limiting certain types of fats from your diet will improve heart health. Cutting trans fats, for example, reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol which can lead to heart attacks. Certain foods that are high in antioxidants, such as dark chocolate, include flavonoids which boost heart health. High-fibre foods are essential while reducing salt intake will help to balance our blood pressure. Your diet is one of the easiest ways you can begin to take control of your heart health today.
Here at Natural Health 4 Life, we focus on bringing you the best ways to improve your heart health naturally. We have a wide range of foods and supplements on the website to support you at all stages. If you have any questions or need to speak to one of us, get in contact with us here today.