It’s easy to feel invincible when you are young, but as you get older, you begin to think more critically about some important issues that need to be taken care of. Your everyday decisions will impact your health in the future, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Or, more specifically, heart attacks. This article will help you identify five lifestyle changes you can make now to help prevent future heart attacks.
Get enough sleep, but don’t overdo it: With only so many hours in a day, it’s easy to skimp on shut-eye. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to many health problems, including heart disease. “The body responds to inadequate sleep by increasing levels of stress hormones, which raise blood pressure and blood sugar levels, while lowering levels of good HDL-cholesterol. The National Institute of Health suggests that adults need 7 to 8 hours each night for optimal health and well-being. Whatever that you know needs to be taken care of, do so while it is still day time so that you can give yourself some rest.
Start your workout in the right head space: One way to strengthen and maintain a healthy heart is through regular exercise. However, it’s important your workout intentions are pure, and not just a way of “blowing off steam.” Findings from a 2016 study suggest that heavy physical exertion and emotional anger may be a potential trigger for a heart attack, particularly for those who have had a heart attack in the past. Make sure that your workout is not stressful, and it is also advisable that you get a 10 minutes rest in between your workout, and also have a bottle of water close by. A gentle yoga or meditation warm-up session can also provide cardiovascular health benefits when considered as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.
Satisfy your sweet crave with dark chocolate: Not everything you love is bad for you. In fact, dark chocolate is loaded with flavonoids, which are plant-based nutrients and powerful antioxidants that are naturally found in fruits and vegetables. Think of them as nature’s secret healthy weapon. Experts say flavonoids can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the heart and brain, and lower the risk of developing blood clots. Bear in mind that many chocolates are packed with processed sugars as well as artificial flavours and colours. Seek out a dark chocolate bar that contains at least 70 percent cocoa and limit your serving size to just one small square. Make sure that you give some few days in between whenever you eat it.
Avoid late night meals: Maybe due to your work schedule, you always get home late and for this you eat late at night. When it comes to dinner, the timing of your meal could be just as important to your heart health as the kinds of food that you are eating. New research indicates that eating dinner within two hours of going to bed may increase overnight blood pressure, and thus the risk of a heart attack, particularly among people who already have high blood pressure. Though more studies are needed to confirm this observation, health experts agree that eating too close to hitting the sheets can cause indigestion and wreak havoc on your sleep. It is also better for you to eat light food once it is night, or you can just go for some fruits.
Be proactive between annual check-ups: Of course, life is demanding, everybody knows and things happen and you might not always have the time to visit your doctor. But, postponing your annual physical exam is something you should desist from. Annual check-ups are vital for everyone’s heart, whether you have a pre-existing cardiovascular condition or not. There are proactive measures you can take in-between your annual check-ups to keep your heart in tip-top shape, like talking to your doctor about starting an aspirin regimen and getting blood pressure checks at your local pharmacy.
A lot of people are suffering from constant heart attack, and a lot have also died due to heart attack. Read this article thoroughly and even pass it across to your loved ones and friends. You don’t know, you might save someone. Health is wealth and the best thing to do is to make sure that you are living a healthy life, so that you will enjoy every bit of it. Get rid of some habits that you know will cause you a heart attack, and live your life to the fullest!
By: Pupwaya Timothy Dibal
