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The heart is one of the most important organs in your body to keep healthy, as you move from childhood to adulthood and into your senior years. Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women, according to the American Heart Association? It kills a half a million women each year…yeah, staggering. The problem is that most of those affected by cardiovascular disease don’t even know it’s there until it’s too late. The key is taking care of things before you need to. Here are 4 crucial considerations for heart health.
Considerations for Heart Health #1: Limit the Use of Stimulants
You may well know that stimulants (drugs or substances that stimulate your cardiovascular system) are bad for your heart, especially when used habitually and to excess. I’m not just talking about hard drugs like cocaine or speed. Let’s discuss energy drinks, that morning pot of coffee, and cigarettes. Artificially speeding up your heart rate on a regular basis over works it and can result in disease as you move into old age. And, like I said earlier, you may not even realize that you are doing this until something goes wrong. Limit or eliminate potential threats to your heart as soon as you can. Talk to your doctor about how to make healthier choices in this area.
Considerations for Heart Health #2: Eat A Sensible Diet
One of the major causes of heart disease is the partial or complete blocking of your arteries and veins, causing extra stress on the heart by increased blood pressure. There are several things that doctors believe contribute to this condition and one is diet. I recommend doing your own research into what types of diets would suit you and your lifestyle. Also, talk to your healthcare providers about any potential dangers to you. Listen to your body as you move toward better health in general. What one person can tolerate, may not work for you. Understand what your body doesn’t need and what it does.
Know that a diet with frequent servings of fast and processed food can have a devastating effect on your heart and blood vessels. Consider incorporating some of the superfoods that are proven to help keep your heart healthy and your blood pressure down. These include oatmeal, blueberries, tomatoes, and nuts. All of these are easily added to your daily diet.
Considerations for Heart Health #3: Take Medications As Prescribed
If you have been prescribed medication, it’s important to always take it exactly how your doctor tells you to. This goes for meds that are for your heart and those that aren’t for your heart specifically. Many medications have strong side effects and are also risky for interactions with other meds and supplements. Always consult your physician or pharmacist before starting anything new.
If you’d like to look into heart health and medications in light of a recent doctor’s visit you can learn more on the web. On this site, you’ll find comprehensive descriptions of various heart problems and available treatments. Remember to always tell your doctor if you are experiencing any severe problems with a current medication.
Considerations for Heart Health #4: Stay Physically Active
The best thing you can do for your heart health is to stay active throughout life. By that, I mean get off that couch and get moving! Of course, there are many things you can do to get physically fit. The most common examples of cardio exercise are running and jogging, swimming and rowing, or cycling and hiking. They all increase your heart rate to well above its resting rate. This type of exercise builds your heart muscles and helps your lungs to work more efficiently as well.
Ultimately, this will serve to lower your blood pressure, which does a significant favor for your heart. The same can be said for how exercise helps to keep you at your ideal weight. And it also is an effective removal of ‘bad’ cholesterol (the kind that blocks your arteries) and encouragement of ‘good’ cholesterol.
As we age, threats to our cardiovascular health are often a repercussion of the lifestyle we led in our youth. It is, therefore, imperative to pay attention to your body while you are young, so there are no surprises down the road. Remember, you don’t have to feel sick to have disease lurking in your body. Many conditions lie dormant and symptomless because your body does everything it can to push disease away…that is until it can’t anymore. Wake up. Seek heart health now before it’s too late.
**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.
