Prevent Heart Disease at Home

Dealing with heart disease is becoming more and more important. This hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis can be caused or exacerbated by a number of different risk factors. The more of these factors you have, the more likely you?ll have to deal with heart disease at some point in your life.

Some of the most common risk factors are diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, stress, and genetics. You can also increase your risk of heart disease by living a very sedentary life or by smoking. Fortunately, many of these risk factors can be mitigated or even removed completely.

Of course, doing so will require a lifestyle change. One such change is to stop smoking and to start exercising. It can be difficult to do either, but both have many different benefits. If you stop smoking, you?ll not only reduce your chances of heart disease but you?ll also make your lungs healthier. Exercise, likewise, is a great way of keeping your heart healthy. You don?t even have to do major workouts or join a gym. Just do a few small things. Climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Learn deep breathing exercises. Take a walk around the block or, if possible, walk somewhere instead of driving. Yoga and swimming are also great ways of exercising our hearts. Remember, though, that you can over-exercise. If you have heart problems, discuss your exercise routine with your doctor before you start exercising.

Eating a healthy diet is another very, very important aspect to controlling heart disease. Those who eat greasy, fried foods are obviously in danger of blocking their arteries. People should try to avoid these types of food and instead focus on eating fresh vegetables and fruits. These foods are high in refined carbohydrates, which are healthy for you. Eating a diet that focuses on getting the daily recommended amount of fiber is also helpful. For those who already have heart disease, adding fish oil and fresh garlic is helpful.

Stress can have a major affect on heart attacks and heart problems. For those who deal with stressful situations on a daily basis, finding a healthy way of releasing this stress is very important. You may find yourself relaxing by spending time with others or going out somewhere, or you may enjoy curling up with a good book, watching television, or taking a hot bath. Either way, you must remember to relax every now and then or you may become so stressed you actually become unhealthy.

There are a number of other things we should remember to avoid: junk food, for example, is not good for our hearts. Neither is forgetting to take medication or multivitamins. Remember to follow your doctor?s orders when it comes to health or handling any health problems you already have. By reducing your cholesterol, reducing stress, and getting up and exercising, you can do a lot to prevent heart disease.

Source : www.amazines.com