written by Cindy Agyemang
Learn more about your health and wellness.
To keep our hearts in good shape, we should try to learn more about our family’s health history. We are more likely to avoid heart disease when we can understand our family’s health trends. Also, we should learn more about our own heart health. We can do this by seeing a doctor regularly and developing education and awareness about heart disease.
Participate in physical activity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that we get strength-based exercise at least twice a week and moderate aerobic exercise at least once a week. Since obesity and high blood pressure are both risk factors for heart disease, developing the habit of exercising twice a week can lower our risk of developing the disease.
Eat well and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Healthy food choices for heart health include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and lean meats. We should also reduce our sodium, saturated fat, added sugar, and alcohol consumption to lower our risk of heart disease. Substituting water for sodas and juices can help us maintain a healthy weight and reduce our risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends that women drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day. Men should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages per day.
Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
Stopping smoking is essential for reducing our risk of heart disease, both in short and in the long term. Every time you smoke, you increase your risk of heart disease by 5%. Smoking and inhaling cigarette smoke impairs our heart’s ability to function correctly.
The most effective measure you can take to protect your family from the dangers of secondhand smoke is to stop smoking.
These are four ways to protect your heart from heart disease. We wish you the best of luck on your journey to protect your heart!
