Your heart impacts your health more than any organ; thus, it is wise to keep it healthy. Due to the complex nature of the heart, you may require advice on how to keep it healthy. This is where a Heart and Vascular Care doctor comes in handy to educate on the proper ways to keep the heart healthy. They’ll diagnose and treat any heart and vascular conditions and recommend home remedies to improve your health. Keep reading to learn ways to protect your heart.
Get Active
Your heart is made of muscles that will grow strong with exercise; therefore, it is important to get active. The exercise will boost the heart’s ability to pump blood, improving circulation. Improved blood flow reduces the hardening of the arteries and the occurrence of atherosclerosis, thus reducing heart attack occurrence. Thus walking and engaging in light exercises for half an hour during the day will reduce the chances of developing heart issues. Moreover, you can go more intense on the exercises to build core strength, reduce weight and improve your mood and mental health.
Lower Your Salt Intake
Salt is made of sodium chloride. The sodium leads to hypertension and can damage the blood vessels. You can add a few pinches of salt to the food when cooking or resort to other additives like ginger which add flavor to the food. Furthermore, cutting down the highly processed junk food reduces sodium intake as these foods contain a high amount of salt. Some preservation techniques which use salt might also increase the sodium in your plate; choose preservation techniques such as smoking.
Use Olive Oil
You should choose heart-friendly oils such as extra virgin olive oil and other virgin oils with less saturated fats. Some of these virgin oils have antioxidants that can protect the blood cells, reduce blood oxidation and protect the heart. Oxidation and cellular destruction lead to heart diseases, increase aging, and promote cancer development.
Listen To Music
Music relaxes the mind and the heart; you can listen to music during stressful situations to alleviate stress. Moreover, music can decrease the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, improving your health. However, you should choose music with a low tempo as it has a calming effect and reduces stress. High tempo music increases stress levels, leading to heart problems.
Eat Healthy Food
The food you choose will significantly impact your heart health, and it is wise to eat healthily; for instance, you should opt for organic and avoid processed food. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and dairy can improve your gut health, lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
Moreover, you can eat some chocolate to improve heart health; dark cocoa contains flavonoids and antioxidant compounds that improve heart health. The nitric oxide in the cocoa allows the blood vessel walls to relax, thus lowering blood pressure. However, you should communicate with your nutritionist before incorporating the chocolate into your diet.
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Final Thoughts
Heart and vascular health are essential as they significantly impact your overall health. Your doctor will diagnose and treat health conditions. Although the appropriate treatments can deal with heart issues, it is vital to practice home remedies to improve heart health. You may wish to eat healthily, lower salt intake, incorporate chocolate into your diet, listen to music, and exercise frequently.
