Living Healthy: How to Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007The key in understanding how to reverse and prevent heart disease will also unlock the healthy lifestyle that you have always desired but never been completely sure of how to achieve. The decisions that you must make and the habits that you need to form to live a healthier life for your heart are easier than you might think, and the rewards will last you a lifetime. Are you ready to begin living healthy? With the following steps in place, you will be on your way to a healthier, happier you!
Step One: You are what You Eat
Diet is such a key component in understanding how to reverse and prevent heart disease; it is hard to believe that so many folk are still wallowing in the depths of fast food “nutrition” and obesity. A heart-healthy diet will not only make you healthy on the inside; you will look and feel great on the outside as well – from your glowing skin, to your lean limbs! Eating right is easier than you might think. Stocking up on a good supply of fruits and vegetables is the first step, and reaching for your carrot sticks and apple instead of that donut when the afternoon munchies creep in is the second.
Next, make sure that you are getting plenty of whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy. Omege-3 fatty acids have been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure and reducing your heart attack risk. You can find this substance in foods like salmon, sardines and some cooking oils. At least to servings of this important substance each week will give you a lean, mean cardiac machine. On the flip side, avoid fats, sugar and refined or processed foods as much as possible, and only drink in moderation. For men, that means two drinks a day, and for women, the limit is one. With some good, nutritious choices under your belt (so to speak), you are learning how to reverse and prevent heart disease.
Additionally, there are a number of herbs and nutritional supplements that are excellent for the prevention of heart disease. They include:
Salmon Oil - Consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Ginko Biloba - Has been shown to prevent free radicals in the cardio-system
Hawthorne - Very effective in increasing blood flow to the heart and lowering blood pressure.
In fact, if you’re interested, there are a number of other herbal formulas and nutritional supplements that are excellent to reverse and prevent heart disease discussed here.
I Like to Move It, Move It!
Exercise is one of the best methods in knowing how to reverse and prevent heart disease. Any type of aerobic activity will do, whether it is walking around the block, biking through the neighborhood, or hitting the cardio machines at the local fitness center a few times each week. The federal guidelines for physical exercise recommend a workout lasting 30 to 60 minutes a number of times each week. If your schedule gets too tight on some days for you to fit the longer interval in, a few short spurts can get you on the right track as well. For optimum fitness, it is best to combine an aerobic workout with strength and flexibility training three times a week as well. This will get your body into its best physical condition, and help you to age with style and good health intact.
Exercise and a healthy diet will help you to achieve the next component in how to reverse and prevent heart disease, which is maintaining a healthy weight. The statistics on obesity in the United States are not optimistic in predicting a healthy culture today. Between the prevalence of fast food restaurants and the increased amount of time we sit in front of screens, it appears that our waistlines are begging for mercy. To get the extra pounds off, diet and exercise should be combined for maximum effectiveness. Once you see how much better you will feel by eating a healthy fare and getting physically active, you will see why these practices are so important in keeping your heart pumping at its best.
Other articles you may be interested in, Signs You Should Not Ignore: Signs Of Women’s Heart Disease