For anyone who has been diagnosed with heart disease or is simply concerned with ways to prevent it, you'll be interested to know that a strict, heart healthy diet is not the only key to maintaining a healthy heart. In fact, the main component is actually an overall healthy lifestyle. Because even if you're on the best diet in the universe, if you're not active and especially if you smoke, the effort you're making is basically futile. But the goods news is that 80 percent of heart disease can be prevented with a proper balance of good eating habits and exercise.
Here are some ways you can bring balance into your life and incorporate a combination of fitness with a healthy diet routine that will greatly reduce your risk for heart disease, as well improve the condition of your health if you have already been diagnosed.
Decrease the amount of your usual salt intake, particularly if you have high blood pressure
Cut back on cholesterol by choosing to eat low-fat or fat-free products in addition to more lean meats
Lessen your consumption of foods and drinks that have a high sugar content
Avoid foods that are high in saturated and trans fats whenever possible, e.g. snacks and salad dressings
Eat more fish, specifically the varieties that contain higher levels of Omego 3 like Wild Salmon and Lake Trout
Incorporate more high fiber and whole grain foods into your diet
Eat as much freshly prepared fruits and vegetables as you can
When dining out, choose healthy menu options
Limit any alcohol consumption
Get at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 or more times a week
Don't Smoke!
Think about what you're currently eating and how much activity is present in your current lifestyle. Are you following a heart healthy diet? Are you exercising daily, weekly or at all? Base your decisions on the results of those answers and take smaller steps at first if that's what you're comfortable with. Walking is one of the best and easiest ways to help you get fit and maintain a healthy heart. Choosing the stairs over the elevator is a perfect example of one simple choice you can make. Parking further away from the office or the store is another. Whatever strategies you do end up choosing, they are all based on your own personal preference. But committing to a plan and working toward making significant, permanent changes is one of the most important steps you'll ever take.
Now, if you've got to make some changes, whether small or substantial, no one's expecting you to work wonders overnight. But you've got to make the effort, and you've got to do it on a consistent basis. A plan for a heart healthy diet and lifestyle is something that you will become accustomed to and will benefit greatly from during your long(er) lifetime.
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