The heart is one of the most vital organs in the human body. It pumps blood to all parts of the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells and removing waste products. The heart also plays a key role in regulating blood pressure, hormone levels, and body temperature. Therefore, taking care of your heart is essential for your overall health and well-being.
However, many people are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), which are the leading cause of death worldwide. CVDs include conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmia. Some of the common risk factors for CVDs are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and alcohol abuse.
Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent or reduce the risk of CVDs by adopting a healthy lifestyle. In this blog post, we will share some simple tips on how to take care of your heart and keep it strong and healthy.
1. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet
One of the most important factors for your heart health is your diet. A heart-healthy diet consists of a variety of foods that provide essential nutrients and antioxidants for your body. Some of the foods that you should include in your diet are:
- Fruits and vegetables: These are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, preferably fresh or frozen. Choose a rainbow of colors to get a wide range of nutrients.
- Whole grains: These are grains that have not been refined or processed, such as oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat. Whole grains contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, and phytochemicals that can help regulate blood sugar, lower cholesterol, and prevent blood clots. Aim for at least three servings of whole grains per day.
- Legumes: These are plant-based proteins that include beans, lentils, peas, soybeans, and peanuts. Legumes are high in protein, fiber, iron, folate, and phytochemicals that can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation. Aim for at least two servings of legumes per week.
- Nuts and seeds: These are healthy fats that include almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds. Nuts and seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, and phytochemicals that can improve blood vessel function, lower cholesterol, and prevent arrhythmia. Aim for a handful of nuts or seeds per day.
- Fish: This is another source of healthy fat that includes salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and mackerel. Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids that can lower triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids can also prevent blood clots and arrhythmia. Aim for at least two servings of fish per week.
Some of the foods that you should limit or avoid in your diet are:
- Salt: This is a mineral that can increase blood pressure and fluid retention if consumed in excess. High blood pressure can damage the arteries and increase the risk of CVDs. The recommended daily intake of salt is less than 5 grams or 1 teaspoon. To reduce your salt intake, use herbs, spices, vinegar, or lemon juice to flavor your food instead of salt or high-sodium condiments such as soy sauce, fish sauce, bagoong, and ketchup.
- Saturated fats: These are fats that are solid at room temperature, such as butter, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil. Saturated fats can raise your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol levels, which can clog the arteries and increase the risk of CVDs. The recommended daily intake of saturated fats is less than 10% of your total calories or less than 22 grams for a 2, 000-calorie diet. To reduce your saturated fat intake, choose lean cuts of meat, remove visible fat and skin from poultry, use low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and avoid processed meats such as ham, bacon, tocino, sausage, hotdog, and dried fish.
- Trans fats: These are fats that are created by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and stable. Trans fats can raise your LDL cholesterol levels and lower your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of CVDs. Trans fats are often found in baked goods, fried foods, margarine, shortening, and fast foods. The recommended daily intake of trans fats is less than 1% of your total calories or less than 2 grams for a 2, 000-calorie diet. To avoid trans fats, check the nutrition labels and ingredient lists of packaged foods and look for “partially hydrogenated oils” or “hydrogenated oils” and avoid them.
- Added sugars: These are sugars that are added to foods and beverages during processing or preparation, such as table sugar, honey, syrup, and molasses. Added sugars can increase your blood sugar levels and triglyceride levels, which can increase the risk of CVDs. Added sugars are also often found in sweetened beverages such as sodas, juices, energy drinks, and sports drinks. The recommended daily intake of added sugars is less than 10% of your total calories or less than 50 grams for a 2, 000-calorie diet. To reduce your added sugar intake, choose fresh fruits or unsweetened dried fruits as snacks instead of candies, cookies, cakes, and pastries. If thirsty, drink water or unsweetened tea or coffee instead of sweetened beverages.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Another important factor for your heart health is your weight. Being overweight or obese can increase the strain on your heart and increase the risk of CVDs. Overweight and obesity are defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above. BMI is a measure of your weight in relation to your height and can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. For example, if you weigh 70 kilograms and are 1.7 meters tall, your BMI is 70 / (1.7 x 1.7) = 24.2, which is within the normal range.
To maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the calories you consume from food and beverages with the calories you burn from physical activity and metabolism. If you consume more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn. A safe and effective way to create a calorie deficit is to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 calories, which can result in an average weight loss of about half to one kilogram per week.
Some tips to reduce your calorie intake are:
- Eat smaller portions and use smaller plates and bowls to control the amount of food you eat.
- Eat slowly and chew your food well to help you feel full faster and longer.
- Drink water before and during meals to help you feel full and hydrated.
- Avoid skipping meals, especially breakfast, to prevent overeating later in the day.
- Choose low-calorie foods that are high in water and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, soups, and salads, to fill up your stomach without adding too many calories.
- Limit high-calorie foods that are high in fat and sugar, such as fast foods, fried foods, sweets, and desserts, to occasional treats rather than regular meals.
3. Increase Regular Physical Activity
Physical activity is another key factor for your heart health. It can improve your blood circulation, strengthen your heart muscle, lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and stress levels, and help you maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity can also reduce the risk of CVDs by up to 50%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults aged 18 to 64 years should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week. Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity is any activity that makes you breathe faster and increases your heart rate moderately, such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, or gardening. Vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity is any activity that makes you breathe much faster and increases your heart rate significantly, such as running, jumping rope, playing soccer, or doing aerobics.
You can also do a combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity according to your preference and ability. For example, you can do 30 minutes of brisk walking five times a week or 15 minutes of running three times a week or any other combination that suits you. You can also break up your physical activity into shorter bouts of at
