A Daily Challenge: Your Heart Health

Dear Readers, We also refer to our heart as the motor of the human organism. Its job is to pump blood through the body so that it is supplied with oxygen and nutrients and waste products are removed. With an attacked heart, quality of life so we should always pay attention to his well-being! You can find out when our brilliant life pump is at risk and what everyone can do for their heart health.

Common Causes of Heart Disease

“The heart is our most important muscle”, it is said and in fact, it is very strong. But the power of the heart has many enemies. The medical department cardiology deals with the causes of cardiovascular diseases and explains what people need for a healthy heart. These health indicators are well researched and ubiquitous in medical education. Nevertheless, according to the Federal Statistical Office, cardiovascular diseases were the most common cause of illness and death in western industrialized countries in 2014. There are many reasons why so many people suffer from heart diseases:

• Smoke
• Increased blood lipids (high cholesterol)
• high blood pressure
• Psycho-social factors such as stress
• Low physical activity
• Overweight (obesity)
• Hereditary predisposition
• nutrition

But there is also a good message: The causes of heart diseases are varied, but the opportunities to live heart-healthy are at least as numerous! Let’s take the central factor of nutrition: Here everyone can observe important tips that are good for the heart and at the same time enjoyable.

Also Read: Top 4 Yoga Poses to Control High Blood Pressure and for Healthy Heart

Heart-healthy Nutrition: Which Foods are Good for the Heart?

Even if we mostly know the cornerstones of a healthy diet: With the daily sweet and fat seductions, you quickly lose sight of what a heart-healthy diet entails. There are many good guidelines that we can all easily follow.

Eat Versatile

“Food for the heart” does not mean that you should only live on carrots and apples. Enjoy the variety and eat nutritious, low-calorie foods. Give priority to plant-based foods and change the ingredients regularly. This is how you eat a balanced diet and supply the body with the most important nutrients.

Full-Grain

You should process and consume whole grains and potatoes as well as carbohydrate-rich foods such as bread, pasta, and rice in your dishes. These products are low in fat. Whole grain products are interesting because they increase the amount of fiber in your food. The fiber saturates longer, causes the blood sugar level to rise more slowly and prevents constipation.

Read About: Top 5 Yoga Exercises Excellent for Heart Blockage Disease

Fruit and Vegetables

Enjoy about five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and choose fresh and seasonal products if possible. Fruits and vegetables mostly contain few calories, plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Tip: Cut apples, bananas or strawberries into the muesli. As a healthy snack, eat some fruit and vegetables. Peppers, kohlrabi or carrots also taste good in between. The main meals can be eaten with plenty of vegetables or served with a colorful salad.

Dairy Products, Fish, Sausages

Include dairy products and fish in your daily diet and use little sausage and meat. The milk products cheese, yogurt or curd contain calcium and protein. You are welcome to eat fish once or twice a week – like products with sustainable origins. It is very nutritious and contains iodine, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Meat is an important source of protein and B vitamins, but red meat, in particular, can be risky in large quantities.

Use Only Certain Fats

In general, you should rather reduce fat in your diet. Although it is a flavor carrier, it also contains many calories – twice as much as the same amount of carbohydrates or protein. How can they reduce the fat in your food? Select the semi-fat variant for milk and milk products. If you fry a piece of meat, just a little oil is enough. Meat products such as sausages and sausages usually contain a lot of fat. There are also fats hidden in sweets as well as in fast food. On the other hand, “good fat” refers to unsaturated fatty acids. They occur in vegetable oils such as rapeseed or pumpkin seed oil.

Reduce sugar and salt

Sugar not only provides sweetness but also has a relatively large number of calories. Therefore, eat foods sweetened with sugar only occasionally. Excess salt may also be unhealthy. Fresh herbs of all kinds are a good alternative to salting at the table.

Drinking-Water is Good

Water is a crucial component of the human body. The organism loses fluid daily through sweating and evaporation. Healthy people should, therefore, drink about 1.5 liters a day. Prefer water when drinking, because it contains no calories. Also, drink unsweetened teas or juice spritzers. The ratio should ideally be three parts water to one part juice – because sweetened juice contains many calories. An important rule for drinks: Calorie drinks are not satiety, they are rather fattening. Incidentally, alcohol contains a particularly large number of calories.

Gentle Preparation of the Food

Cooked vegetables only taste half as good. In addition, it is no longer so nutritious. You get the nutrients by gently cooking vegetables and not using too high temperatures.

Eat with Peace

If you eat quickly, eat more before you feel full. So eat rather slowly and enjoy a meal consciously. It is best to never gulp food down casually.

These tips for a heart-healthy diet should be included in your everyday life. Because an unhealthy, high-fat diet can promote cardiovascular diseases. It is important that you always maintain and enjoy the fun and joy of eating. If at the beginning you are not able to implement everything you have planned – this is not a problem. The Chinese philosopher Laotse said: “The longest journey begins with the first step.” The main thing is that you start and have the courage to make a change for yourself.

In addition to a good diet, there are some more valuable tips for a heart-healthy lifestyle.

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Exercise as Much as Possible

Exercise lowers blood pressure and has a positive effect on metabolism. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that you take 30 minutes of exercise every day. You shouldn’t wear yourself out every day. It is enough to walk quickly for half an hour. Incorporate slowly more exercise into your daily life. So you can incorporate small walks into everyday life, sometimes take the stairs instead of the elevator and if possible do sport three to four times a week.

However, please note that you should always do everything in consultation with your family doctor because you should only exercise in a healthy way and within the scope of your individual options. Important: Find out for yourself which sport suits you and is fun for you. Never force yourself to do the activities you don’t enjoy.

Reduce your Stress

Stress is a physical and psychological reaction that should enable us to cope with special challenges. The term also describes the resulting physical and mental strain. Negative stress can trigger a lack of sleep, for example. There is also a verifiable link between negative stress and high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease – especially the heart attack. Therefore, banish negative stress as much as possible from your life. Learn for yourself how to deal with stress.

Avoid smoking

The enjoyment potential of smoking cannot be balanced against its many negative consequences. We are all aware of this. Smoking is addictive and increases the risk of numerous diseases such as heart, respiratory and cancer diseases. Still, it is very difficult to get rid of it. The usual tools for smoking cessation are all just support. Nicotine withdrawal is only possible with a firm will. Take it on: your heart will thank you.

Conclusion

Cardiovascular diseases are common in western industrial societies. They are the most common cause of illness and death. The reasons why people become heartsick are manifold. They range from smoking to stress to nutrition.

However, the options for a healthy lifestyle are just as numerous. With fun, joy and without pressure to perform, you can improve your lifestyle and promote heart health with simple means. The most important tips for the heart are a healthy diet, lots of exercises, no smoking and stress relief.

What all the activities are you doing to keep the heart fit? We look forward to your experience reports.

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