The heart is our most important organ. It provides blood to every part of the body, keeps us healthy and active through regulated rhythms (pulse), helps with hormonal balance in order for you to feel happy all day long! But if your engine room doesn’t get enough care or attention then serious complications might develop such as thickening lining inside arteries which can lead into strokes & even death
If you are here to know the best ways to improve your heart health, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will be discussing the best foods to improve your heart health and how exercise can also help.
How to naturally improve your heart health
There are several ways to naturally improve your heart health. Some of them are:
1. Keep a healthy weight
Being overweight can not only be uncomfortable, it is also quite dangerous to your heart health.
Obesity has a way of straining the heart by drastically increasing the amount of work and time required to pump blood around the body. Fats also known as adipose tissue cause the buildup of plaque in your arteries, highly increasing your risk of developing a heart disease.
Thus, if your BMI (Body mass index) is exactly or over 30, you should begin to consider a program to help you lose weight. Although it takes time and effort, this is exactly one of the best ways you can improve your heart health.
2. Quit smoking
There should be no ifs, ands or buts. Smoking is extremely harmful to your heart and overall well-being. If you want to improve your heart health naturally, then, you have to be ready to quit smoking.
A lot of people don’t know this but smoking is actually one of the top risk factors for developing a heart disease.
3. Reduce your salt intake
Salt consumption is no friend to a good heart condition. If the entire population of the United States reduces their salt intake to half a teaspoon, the amount of people that develop coronary heart diseases yearly will be reduced to the barest minimum.
A lot of processed foods and restaurants foods tend to be quite high in salt. So, you should be careful with how much you consume them. Instead, look towards more salt-free or unprocessed foods to improve your heart health.
Are you curious about your salt intake? Meet Vivoo! Vivoo is an at-home urine test that can give you real-time body data on 9 wellness parameters like sodium, calcium, magnesium and so much more. Just urinate on the strip and scan to the app to get your results. Let’s see how you score on the sodium parameter!
4. Don’t sit for too long
Whether you are overweight or working on a job that requires sitting, sitting for long hours can be harmful to your heart and overall health.
So, try as much as possible to always be on the move. Take strolls, get busy, take breaks and just ensure that you move around as much as you can.
5. Keep yourself in check
To have a healthy heart, you have to be conscious of your blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. This is very important. Also, learn the optimal levels for your sex and age group. On a daily basis, take the necessary steps to reach and maintain those levels.
Foods you can eat to improve your heart health
A healthy diet plays a major role in improving your heart health. In fact, there are some foods that specifically influence blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol levels and triglycerides. These foods maximize your heart health and promote easy passage of blood in your arteries and around the body.
Below are some foods you can eat for a healthy heart:
1. Green vegetables
Vegetables like collard greens, kale and spinach are popular for the amount of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants they contain. They are an amazing source of vitamin K, which protects your arteries and helps blood to clot properly.
Some studies have shown leafy green vegetables to be associated with decreasing the risk of heart disease.
2. Avocados
If you’re looking to get enough monounsaturated fats, then, you should be on your way to get some avocados. They reduce cholesterol levels and decrease blood pressure quite effectively. So, if you want a healthy heart, you should eat more avocados.
3. Beans
Of course, beans top the list for foods to eat for improved heart health. It contains resistant starch which exerts a healthy impact on your gut. Several studies have shown beans to be very effective when it comes to reducing certain risk factors of heart diseases. Thus, you should add beans to your diet.
4. Dark chocolate
Flavonoids are antioxidants that help to significantly boost heart health and dark chocolates are rich in them. Studies have proven that consuming chocolates in moderacy- (around 7 servings a week) could decrease your chances of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and even stroke. So, if you don’t really eat chocolates, you may want to start now.
Does cardio improve heart health?
Cardio is the perfect exercise to get your heart pumping and in good shape. It significantly strengthens your heart muscles and lowers your resting pulse. It can help you-
- Improve your sleep quality
- Improve your mood
- Think better
- Lower your blood sugar
- Breath better
- Improve your cholesterol levels
Some cardio exercises you can try for improved heart health are:
- Running
- Cycling
- Brisk walking
- Jumping rope
Are you ready to take care of your wellness?
To sum up, having the right diet, exercising, and quitting bad habits like smoking and low activity can all help to improve your heart health. Don’t forget to monitor your sodium levels with Vivoo’s at-home urine test at the comfort of your home to make sure you are not exceeding your salt intake. Also you can get access to personalized nutritional and lifestyle advice prepared by dieticians straight from the Vivoo App to take your wellness to the next level!
