10 Tips to Improve Heart Health
10 tips to improve heart health.
1. Celebrate your birthday with a medical checkup. Each year, celebrating your birthday, schedule a consultation with your doctor to measure you blood pressure and learn how to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
2. TONES FROM THE TELEVISION. Walk, run, or jog in front of the television for at least 15 minutes each day. Add 5 minutes to your routine every week to get to sessions of at least 30 minutes, five days or more a week.
3. Drink plenty of water. Carry a water bottle everywhere you go. Will keep you well hydrated and the bottle will serve as a weight with which you can tone your arms.
4. Forget the junk food. Keep out of sight the aliments healthy. And vegetables, fruit and other healthy snacks should be placed in an accessible place, as in the front of refrigerator. If you choose healthy foods at least 21 times in a row, the more likely you get to eat regularly. Look for the “mark of the heart” of the American Heart Association on the labels of commercial foods, those that carry this mark are appropriate for a healthy eating program.
5. HEALTHY EATING FOR CONTROLLING CHOLESTEROL. Foods high in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat can raise blood cholesterol. Eat foods low in saturated fat and trans fat such as lean chicken (roasted or baked, without skin) fruit, vegetables, dairy products, low-fat or nonfat, and whole grains. Look for recipes from the American Heart Association at a local bookstore for healthy and delicious recipes.
6. REDUCE THE CONSUMPTION OF SALT. To reduce blood pressure, limiting salt. When buying foods, read nutrition labels to determine sodium content. Foods with 5% or less of the recommended daily value is considered “low sodium”, and with 20% or more are considered “high in sodium.” Do not exceed 100% of the daily value. Some people (those with high blood pressure, African Americans and middle-aged / elderly) should further reduce their consumption, in some cases up to half the recommended daily value.
7. Stop smoking. Quit smoking in four steps. Reduce by half the cigarettes you smoke daily. Then, cut that number in half and then reduced again by half … and finally, bringing the number to zero!
8. LOW WEIGHT. Being overweight raises the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories, and make at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 or more days a week.
9. Not be discouraged by a stumble. If you forget to do a workout, if you smoke a cigarette, or if you eat more than necessary, simply return to your routine and efforts to achieve a healthy lifestyle.
10. HOUSE CELEBRATES VICTORY. Write in a notebook every advance in your program to improve health. If you reach a goal (for example, if low weight or stop smoking) that you celebrate! Do something fun!