10 Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Overweight is a risk factor for insulin resistance, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. The more fat a person carries around the abdomen in particular, the higher the risk.

Try to time your carbs for early in the day, before your most active hours, and following the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which are rich in plants, whole foods and plant fats like olive oil. Also, sticking to three balanced meals and one snack works well for optimizing energy, blood sugar and insulin regulation, digestive health and weight.

Prolonged sitting has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and early death.

Be sure to get up and move frequently even if you have to set an alarm to remind you. Ten-minute spurts of exercise throughout the day can counteract that risk.

Exercise is essential for a strong heart. 30 to 60 minutes of moderate levels of exercise daily will do.

Heavy drinking can lead to a weakened heart muscle, irregular heart rhythms, dementia, cancer and stroke. But research suggests that moderate drinking is linked with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, although it does not prove cause and effect.

Smoking even one cigarette can induce changes that lead to a heart attack. It also increases your risk of having atherosclerosis, strokes and blood clots, and reduces blood flow.

But quitting reduces heart disease risk by 50% in the first year after quitting and becomes equivalent to a nonsmoker after 10 years.

Added sugar refers to sugar that is not found naturally in food. Honey in your tea is added sugar. The sugar in a banana is not.

Studies indicate that high sugar consumption leads to a higher risk of death from heart disease, regardless of weight, and can change fat metabolism leading to non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease, which boosts the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Animal fats and proteins are definitely linked to elevated cholesterol and elevated heart risk. Conversely, monounsaturated fats —the ones in olive oil, avocado and many nuts—along with polyunsaturated fats from fish like wild salmon and sardines, are great for heart health.

When you eat meat, keep your portions small, go easy on sugar, processed carbs and butter, and help yourself to plenty of vegetables and fruits. Also keep in mind that grass-fed and organic dairy and meats provide some beneficial fats that conventionally produced animal products don’t.

• Plant-based diets lead to decreased risks of heart disease and increased consumption of heart-healthy nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, potassium, and vitamins.
• Nonstarchy vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates, helping keep weight under control.
• Veggies supply prebiotics, which feed beneficial probiotic bacteria. Which in turn aids in disease prevention and help reduce chronic, low-level inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease.
• Focus on what to eat as much as what to avoid. Try to eat daily five cups of fruits and vegetables.
• Fill your plate with steamed or sautéed veggies over modest portions of other things. It may feel less satisfying at first you will have more energy, sustainable weight loss and better digestive health.