According to clinical research, heart disease is the most prevalent disease across both genders, and nearly one in every four women in the US die of heart disease. Even though the popular belief dictates that cancer is the primary disease to infect women, what very few women understand is that it’s actually heart disease that they are most threatened by. But unlike cancer, heart disease is very much preventable and curable.
The heart is the most sensitive and instrumental organ of the human body, and I need not say more to validate its essentiality for the fabric of life. Messing up your heart is incredibly easy, all it takes is lots of processed foods, trans fats, calories and unhealthy diet choices with very little exercise. But you can also prevent a heart disease from occurring with healthier food choices, a wholesome living and plenty of exercise.
If you feel your heart is giving you some trouble, or you want to avoid that trouble before it even takes place, here’s all you need to understand and follow!
1. Understand the risk
It is essential that you visit your doctor on a regular basis to conduct medical evaluation and necessary tests that examine your heart and its functioning most thoroughly. Discuss the test results with your doctor and rule out all factors that seem disturbing. It is equally essential to keep your waist size, pregnancy history and blood sugar levels in the equation, and work on stabilizing all three of these factors for a healthier heart.
You see, if you’re not aware of the risk your heart is facing, you will never be able to combat against these risks and take appropriate measures to save your life. You need to understand that a failing or unhealthy heart is a great deal more than a plain old heart attack, or God forbid, a blocked artery that requires an open-heart surgery. All your everyday functioning, walking, talking, eating-everything is linked up to your heart.
2. Identify the symptoms
The symptoms of heart attack vary across the two genders to a great extent. Clinical research reveals that nearly 43% of the women who contract heart attacks report to feeling no chest pain whatsoever. So, what are the symptoms that women experience?
Severe bouts of fatigue are the earliest symptoms that women tend to experience. A few weeks before the onset of the heart attack, nearly 70% women have reported to undergo symptoms like debilitating and severe exhaustion very similar to flu. The fatigue is so overwhelming that all of a sudden, you’re too tired to prepare dinner, or carry the laundry basket down the stairs.
You also need to keep an eye out for mild pain in your neck, jaw, upper back, breastbone and your shoulders. Dizziness, insomnia, breathlessness, severe sweating, anxiety and nausea are also strongly linked with a heart attack. If you experience any or all of the above mentioned symptoms, call 911 right away. If you receive medical attention within the first 1 hour, your chances of surviving the heart attack increase by 50%, while if it takes three hours our odds increase by 23%.
3. Bring down your blood pressure
Even though it’s not directly linked as one of the symptoms of a heart attack, a high blood pressure increases the risk of the onset of a heart stroke or heart attack. But it also triggers the risks of several other fatalistic ailments, such as kidney failure, cognitive decline or aneurysms. You want to the worst part? Nearly 30% of the American population is clinically proven to have a high blood pressure and they are largely unaware of it.
Do not despair for there is light at the end of the tunnel. You can bring down your blood pressure through natural remedies and without depending on any kind of medication. You need to discard bad habits like excessive alcohol consumption, too much sodium in your diet and adopt healthy habits like yoga, exercise and meditation.
4. Detox your diet
The best way to nourish your heart is to replenish it with essential nutrients and avoid all foods that harm its growth. So basically you need to get rid of all the saturated and trans fats that tend to clog the arteries, along with sodium and sugar. Also, you need to avoid sodas, cheesy dishes and red meat.
Consider adopting a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, and certain dairy products like milk, yogurt and cream.
5. Go meatless on Mondays!
Scientific research proves that as far as heart diseases are concerned, vegetarians are at a great advantage for they reduce their risk of possible death by one-thirds.
A vegetable diet is indeed the best way to maintain a healthy and strong heart because those who don’t eat meat are at a lower risk of contracting heart diseases, along with other foodborne diseases and cancer. And it all has to do with the cholesterol and blood sugar levels of the body, which are increased by meaty dishes and balanced by fresh vegetables.
Diet plays an instrumental role in preventing the onset of a heart disease, and while little portions of meat are good for your health, you must have a plant rich diet with lots of fruits and vegies.
6. Snack with caution
We all get hungry between meals, and when we have a long day piled up with work ahead of us, it’s important to energize the body with something to bite on. However, you can’t rely on drive thru options and vending machine items, you need to pack your own snack kit to make sure you don’t overdo the snacking and keep things balanced.
You can pack yourself some fruits, air-popped popcorns, or a freshly cut up vegetables. Another great idea is to keep a stash of almond butter or a jar of peanuts at your desk so that you can munch when you like. Carrots and apple slices taste great with peanut butter, or you can store hummus and enjoy it with broccoli or pepper strips.
7. Exert yourself
We all find ourselves horribly exhausted at the end of the day, and with such a routine, it’s hard to make time for exercise and workout sessions. But take a moment and ask yourself, are you really too busy to take care of your heart? If you take a 20 min break and run off to Starbucks with your colleagues, you can spare ten minutes to do a couple lunges and squats as well.
You need to make time for exercise and fit your plan into your regular schedule so that you can maintain consistency. It doesn’t matter if you’re exercising for 10 minutes in the morning, another 10 after lunch and a final 10 minutes at night, that’s actually a really good start. And if it’s working for you, it’s the best way to stay fit.
The best way to move around more is to quite hailing a cab to work, or getting off a couple blocks away so you can walk instead. Scientific research proves that three ten minute walks help lower down blood pressure a great deal more than a half-hour walk. And when you’ve spent more than 3 hours sitting at your desk, you need to get up and take a 10 minute power stroll to jog up your heart.
8. Chilling with the girls
Relaxing and enjoying yourself is equally essential as any exercise regime or diet plan. Being constantly stressed, ridden with anxiety and exhausting schedules won’t help your heart stay healthy, and the worst part is that many of us don’t know how to take things easy and relax a little. Having a plan is very important, otherwise you just find yourself running for cover when all hell breaks loose.
That’s where your girlfriends come in to help you cherish the little blessings in life. Go out, have lunches, dine at classy restaurants, hit the club every once in a while, book spa treatments, and of course, get yourself fun manicures and pedicures. Medical science agrees that friends are truly a great therapy, and women who have a greater support social network, tend to face lower risks of being obese, smoking, having high blood pressure, or high blood sugar levels for that matter.
9. Eliminate the stress
Stress can harm your body and your heart in more ways than one. It can weaken your cardiovascular and immune system since it allows the hormone cortisol to release faster. And more worrisome is the fact that stress increases the chances of contracting a heart disease. It also triggers unhealthy inflammation, alcohol abuse and depression, which also contribute to the build-up of a heart disease.
It is important so stay calm, and take a break from everyday life once in a while. A hot bath with scented candles, lunching with your friends, being alone, cuddling up with your partner, meditating-there are countless ways to eliminate the stress. And if nothing works, you must try a hot bath with essential oils to invigorate your mind and senses.
10. Motivation is the key!
You need to find your motivation and keep yourself motivated to look after your heart and its health. It will help you fight down doubts and deal with days that expect you to struggle for an extra mile. We all face challenges, and deal with health breakdowns. Motivating yourself to lead a healthier and more wholesome life is all there is to it.
At the end of the day, being fit is a choice not a finality, and each day you work towards the goals that you set for yourself. A healthy heart will help you enjoy all the finer things in life, so prevent it from falling sick.
http://www.healthpedia.us/10-ways-prevent-heart-disease/5/
No comments:
Post a Comment