Whether you have heart disease or are at risk of it, developing and maintaining healthy habits from an early age can decrease your risk for the future. These habits include eating a balanced diet, being physically active, getting regular screenings and not smoking.
You can control many of the risk factors for heart disease, like unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and high blood pressure and cholesterol.
High Blood Pressure
A heart healthy lifestyle diet and regular exercise can help reduce high blood pressure. Diet is one of the controllable risk factors for heart disease, along with cholesterol levels, body weight and the management of diabetes. It is recommended that you eat a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, fish, legumes, nontropical vegetable oils and nuts. In addition, you should consume foods that are lower in saturated fat and sodium.
Hypertension occurs when the heart pumps blood through the arteries with too much force against the walls of the artery. This excess pressure causes damage to the artery wall and other tissues. Most people with elevated blood pressure don’t have symptoms, so the condition is often called the “silent killer.”
In general, blood pressure is measured in two numbers: systolic and diastolic. Systolic pressure is the number when the heart is pumping blood and diastolic pressure is the number when the hearts relaxes between beats. A normal blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg or below.
The risk of high blood pressure increases with age, but you can prevent it from rising by eating a balanced diet and being physically active. It is also important to get regular wellness exams, including blood pressure checks, to monitor your health. It is recommended that you get a checkup every two years starting at age 18. If you have other risk factors, you may need more-frequent screenings.
High Cholesterol
A diet high in cholesterol can raise your LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease and other health problems. You can help lower your cholesterol levels by eating a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, and by using healthy fats instead of saturated and trans fats. You can also reduce your cholesterol by cutting out sugary beverages and snacks such as soda, candy, cookies and ice cream. Getting enough sleep, managing stress and quitting smoking can also improve your health and lower your cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is used to build cell tissues and make hormones. You get cholesterol through your diet, mostly from egg yolks, meat and dairy products. Eating too much cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. You can lower your cholesterol by choosing lean cuts of meat (beef round, sirloin or pork tenderloin), skinless poultry and beans, and using unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, such as canola, olive (extra virgin is best) and sunflower oil.
You should limit the number of eggs you eat to about seven per week and choose unflavoured or low fat milk, yoghurt and cheese. You should also avoid processed meats such as sausages and deli meats, and select unsaturated fats from plant sources such as avocado, nuts, seeds and fish (eg salmon, sardines, mackerel). Include two to three servings of oily fish (150 grams fresh or 100g tinned) in your diet each week.
Smoking
Smoking (and breathing secondhand smoke) damages every organ and tissue in your body, including your heart. It robs your blood vessels of their elasticity, makes them hard and stiff, and increases the risk for heart disease and stroke. Even light smokers are at a higher risk of dying from heart and blood vessel diseases than nonsmokers.
There is no such thing as a safe amount of smoking. The carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke steals oxygen from your red blood cells, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Nicotine (the addictive chemical in cigarettes and e-cigarettes) narrows your arteries and raises your blood pressure. It also makes your heart work harder to pump blood through them.
Quitting smoking reduces your chances of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can make it difficult to breathe. It improves your overall health and lowers your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It can also protect your brain and increase your HDL (good) cholesterol, which lowers your risk of dementia.
Everyone can benefit from a heart healthy lifestyle by eating a well-balanced diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking. Those who follow the Life Essential 8 recommendations tend to have healthier cardiovascular systems and live longer. Ideally, you should adopt these habits early in life so that they become natural to you.
Lack of Physical Activity
While some things, like age and sex at birth, are out of our control, most heart diseases can be prevented with a healthy diet, regular exercise, not smoking and limiting alcohol intake. But many people struggle to incorporate these habits into their daily lives. They may find themselves juggling work and family life, or be unsure of which foods are best for their hearts. In some cases, they will only take action once a health problem develops, such as high blood pressure or diabetes.
Studies show that those who are inactive have a higher risk of developing a heart attack or stroke than those who are active. This is because fatty material builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the brain and other organs, which can eventually cause them to become damaged or clogged.
It is important for adults to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking, climbing stairs, dancing or doing household chores that result in a mild increase in the heart rate) per week. However, starting small and gradually increasing this amount is a good way to begin.
Conclusion
In addition, kids and young adults can practice heart healthy living from an early age by participating in organized sports, exploring their neighbourhood parks on foot or bike, and by limiting their screen time and spending more time outdoors.
