6 Dietary Tips For a Healthy Heart

We all would love to live a long and prosperous life, and to achieve that we have to focus on our health. You will need to take care of you body the best you can, and the main muscle in our body that works every day for 24 hours our whole lives is the heart. That is one of the most important organs in our body, and there are several ways how you can keep your heart healthy and beating for a long time.

6 Dietary Tips to Maintain a Healthy Heart

#1. Cut down the intake of saturated and Trans fats

You have no idea how much diet can affect the functioning of our body. Every single part of your diet has a different effect, and you will have to take care of what you eat if you want to be healthy for a long time and provide everything that is essential for your heart. You must focus on cutting down the intake of fats, all kinds of it, because that is one thing that can make it hard for your heart to pump the blood through your veins. We all know how bad and unhealthy trans fat or saturated fat can be. They are known to be the cause of the rising of your bad cholesterol level, lower your good cholesterol level, causes stroke, heart disease, diabetes, increase the risk of getting an Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. So stay away from foods like fast food, fried foods, doughnuts, and junk foods as they are high in trans fat.

#2. Don’t replace fat with sugar

Now don’t think that sugar is something that is not dangerous for your body. Of course, there is a certain amount of sugar which must be consumed, but that is one nasty thing when you overdo it, and you can cause some great trouble for your heart. It would be the best if you could replace this regular sugar with the sugar which we get from consuming fruits. Some overly health conscious enthusiast would go for fat-free desserts, calorie-counted ready meals, low-fat biscuits and the like, but little to their knowledge, food manufacturers have to increase the amount of sugar in their products so that consumers could still enjoy the taste and texture of the product despite having the oils used for producing low-fat foods have been altered .

#3. Burn your calories – at least as many calories as you take in

Now if you want to stay in shape and fit, you will have to burn as many calories as you can, because that is one way for you to improve you own well-being. The greatest thing which you should manage is to burn at least as many calories as you take in, that is the best way for you to control it. Also, you should be aware of some calories which you take in. There are apps created where you can measure the amount of calories that you have devoured for the day. Make sure that you do at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise such as running, walking, swimming, biking everyday. Doing some weights is also very effective in burning calories as the more muscles you build, the faster your metabolism works. If you do not have the time to go to the gym and work out, try to incorporate some movements on your daily routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from the entrance of your office or simply do some lunges or crunches during your break time.

#4. Choose your food properly – low on cholesterol and rich in fibre

Controlling the things you consume is something you will have to focus on the most. You are your master of body and soul. Thus you can regulate your diet as you wish and like. The cholesterol is the most sinister thing you can consume, and you will hurt your heart the most. Concentrate on including foods that are rich in fiber such as avocados, pears, berries, coconut, figs, peas, artichokes, okra, squash, sprouts and turnips.

#5. Control portion size

As we already stated, you are your master. You can control your diet, and you should try having more meals that are humble, or in another word, eat less but frequent. Control of your portions is another aspect of helping your heart because it will work better. Study has shown that overweight people who practiced portion control lost more percentage of their body weight compared to those who did not. Use smaller plates and dishes. Also, do not eat directly from the bag or box and avoid distractions such as watching TV while eating as this would cause you to unconsciously eat more. And more importantly, do not skip meals as you tend to devour that whole piece of chicken if you are starving.

#6. Avoid smoking

Smoking kills and that is a fact. Nothing good ever happened from smoking, and you will be better off without those nasty little devils we all call cigarettes. Smoking greatly affects our blood vessels, thus making it hard for our heart to work properly. No one said that quitting smoking will be easy. The decision of putting a stop to this deadly cigarettes should not come from your loved ones but should be decided by yourself. Once you are already determined to stop, build a strong plan and strategy. Set a target date, throw out those cigarettes and lighters, stay away from people or activities that may tempt you to light that cigarette again. If you feel the urge to smoke, distract yourself by engaging in activities that will keep your mind off it. Try a new sport or hobby that will keep you busy.

In the End

Here are just some few tips on how you can improve your health and help your body function better. Choose your health first, and your body will benefit (as too will your mind) as your functionality and joie de vivre prospers. The control of your diet is in your hands. You are the master of your own universe. Eat healthy, incorporate a little fitness into your daily routine, manage stress and pressure accordingly, and you find your way to a healthy and happy heart.

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