The heart is one of the most important organsin the human body and to raise awareness about the organ the ‘World Heart Day’is celebrated on September 29, annually, at the international level.Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the world’s number one killer, resultingin 18.6 million deaths a year.
Keeping your heart healthy is something youcan work on every day.
What you eat, how much you move, whether you smoke and controlling yourcholesterol and blood pressure are five things that can have a big impact onyour heart.
Here are some of the ways to keep your hearthealthy:
1. Eat more vegetables and fruits
Vegetables and fruits are good sources ofvitamins and minerals. Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and richin dietary fiber. Vegetables and fruits, like other plants or plant-basedfoods, contain substances that may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eatingmore fruits and vegetables may help you cut back on higher-calorie foods, suchas meat, cheese and snack foods.
Some fruits and vegetables that are rich insoluble fiber may also help to lower your cholesterol, including citrus fruits,sweet potato, aubergine, mango and most beans and pulses.
2. Do regular exercise
Studies show that people who aren’t veryactive are more likely to have a heart attack than those who are. Aim to get atleast 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to lower your risk ofdeveloping coronary heart disease. You can split up the 150 minutes any way youlike. For instance, have a brisk 30-minute walk every lunchtime during theweek.
3. Consume fewer amounts of Salt and Sugar inyour diet
Eating too much salt can lead to high bloodpressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Limiting salt (sodium) is animportant part of a heart-healthy diet. Also, too much sugar in your dietcould lead to weight gain, which can raise your blood pressure and lead todiabetes and heart disease.
4. Aim for the right amount of sleep
Everyone's needs are a little different, butthe National Sleep Foundation recommends that most adults get betweenseven and nine hours of sleep a night. It can also make you less likely to wantto exercise—and that's not great for your heart, either. Sleep is also a goodtime for your heart to recharge, Dr. Kini says. "When you sleep, yourheart rate goes down, your hormones settle down, and you're not under a lot ofstress," she says. "It's good for your heart and your overall wellbeing."
5. Quit Smoking and cut back on alcohol
Smoking is one of the main causes ofcardiovascular disease, and smokers are almost twice as likely to have a heartattack compared with those who have never smoked. It not only damages thelining of your arteries but reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood and raisesyour blood pressure.
Also, Alcohol can affect your heart bycausing high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and damage to the heartmuscle. But you don’t have to give it up completely. Just stick to currentguidelines for moderate alcohol drinking, which are two to three units a dayfor women and three to four for men.