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If you smoke – try to stop

As you are probably well aware, smoking is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. It can make a difference not just to your heart, but your overall health too. If you’re not a smoker, this even involves avoiding second-hand smoke like the plague too!  Research shows that non-smokers who have high Blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have a greater risk of developing heart disease from being exposed to second-hand smoke. So what’s stopping you?

Manage your blood cholesterol & blood pressure

Keep an eye on your weight…

…Particularly focusing on your middle. It has been proven that excess belly fat leads to higher blood pressure & unhealthy blood lipid levels (fatty acids). Eating fewer calories, monitoring portion sizes & cutting out those naughty treats, as well as exercising regularly will help you help your heart. If you don’t know what your ideal weight should be, why not try our free B.M.I calculator to find out. It will give you all the help & advice you need about how to kick-start a healthy lifestyle to lead to a healthier heart…and a happier you.

Eat the right foods

Surprisingly, the best foods for your heart aren’t all that boring. The superfood Avocado comes top of the list – full of monounsaturated fatty acids to help lower cholesterol & may prevent blood clotting. Avocados also increase satiety & satisfaction which can help with weight management, as you will feel fuller for longer… and of course, they’re delicious! Dark chocolate is another – chocoholics, rejoice! Enjoying a square or two can decrease your risk of a stroke as well as keeping your arteries flexible – who knew!?

You can even continue to have wine & (dark) chocolate nights because red wine – in moderation, obviously – has benefits to your heart too. It is thought to increase “good” cholesterol; enriched with polyphenol content, red wine in particular can prevent cardiovascular disease. And of course, the most popular healthy-heart food is fatty fish; salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel & the like. High in Omega 3, it is recommended to eat oily fish 2 times a week. Not a fish fan? There are plenty of  Omega 3 supplements that will nourish your body with all the same goodness.

The earlier you establish these heart healthy habits, the happier your heart will be in the long-run. This is because, what you do now, you will feel later on in life. So those YOLO moments where you sit binging on junk, processed foods to Netflix, order that extra drink at a party or have a little smoke will affect how healthy your heart is down the line; increasing risks of coronary heart disease & the like. So maintain a healthy lifestyle & diet and you will have a low cardiovascular risk profile well into your later years.

The post How To: Keep Your Heart Happy appeared first on H&B Barrett UAE Blog.