Good eating habits and physical activity are keys to heart health

There are many factors to consider when addressing improving your heart’s health. The American Heart Association lists nutrition, physical activity, weight management, stress management and smoking cessation as some of the most important.

Nutrition

Good heart health begins with good nutrition, according to the AHA. When cooking at home, trim the fat off pieces of meat, and with poultry, use leaner light meat instead of fattier dark meat, and remove the skin.

Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, instead of egg yolks. For recipes that require dairy products, try low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese. Use reduced-fat, low-fat, light or no-fat salad dressings on salads, for dips or as marinades, and use and prepare foods that contain little or no salt.

Fats are a necessary part of our diet, to give our bodies energy and to support cell growth, but the AHA explains that some fats are better than others for heart health. Saturated fats and transfats, which tend to be more solid at room temperature (like butter), raise bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in your blood. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to be more liquid (like liquid vegetable oil), can help lower bad cholesterol levels, and are beneficial when consumed in moderation.

Physical Activity

The AHA says that exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease. Start off small – like going for a walk around the neighborhood – and commit to it regularly.

Staying active can also help strengthen your immune system and decrease the risk of developing diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Becoming more active can also lower your blood pressure, the AHA says.

In addition to helping your heart, regular physical activity can also boost mental wellness, by helping to relieve tension, anxiety, depression and anger. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen, which directly affects the brain.

Weight Management

The AHA says that being overweight can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Simply put, the way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories you consume and increase the number of calories you burn. One pound equals 3,500 calories.  To successfully and healthfully lose weight, most people need to subtract about 500 calories per day from their diet to lose about 1 pound per week, according to the AHA.

The amount of physical activity any individual needs to successfully lose weight varies, but you will need both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan to lose weight and keep it off.

Stress Management

Stress can manifest itself physically, in the form of a headache, back or neck ache, stomach ache or clenched jaw, or emotionally, with feelings of anxiety, anger or depression. It can also lead to more serious consequences, the AHA says, including high blood pressure or the risk of developing heart disease.

The AHA recommends the following as ways to help deal with and reduce stress: Talk with family and friends, engage in physical activity, accept the things you cannot change, remember to laugh, give up bad habits, get enough sleep, get organized, use positive self-talk, and enjoy daily relaxation.

Quit Smoking

Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis – the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries – which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in the United States, and the AHA stresses anyone concerned about improving their heart health should stop smoking and get fit.

For more information from the AHA, visit the website www.heart.org.