Heart disease is still one of the highest causes of death in Indonesia and in the world. Although dangerous, heart disease is not an impossible disease to prevent. There are various ways to keep you and those closest to you from having heart disease. However, trying to prevent heart disease requires a long-term commitment because it involves changing your lifestyle every day. To start a healthy lifestyle for heart health, let's look at the habits that you can follow below.
Keep the diet
The food you eat has a big influence on the condition of your heart. You should avoid foods that are high in saturated fat as much as possible because they cause cholesterol in the body to increase. Cholesterol buildup causes blockage of the heart arteries. Foods high in saturated fat include fried foods, high-fat dairy, red meat and chicken skin. You should also avoid foods with a high glycemic index because they cause an increase in blood sugar.
There are several foodstuffs that you can include in your diet to maintain heart condition. Fish can be a healthy food choice. The reason is, fish is rich in omega-3 which is known to be good for the heart. Several types of fish that can be your choice, including salmon, sardines, and tuna.
Besides fish, fiber is also important for the heart. Fiber is useful in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL). This type of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. To get fiber intake, you can eat vegetables, fruit, nuts, and wheat. You should consume at least 30 grams of fiber a day.
Exercise regularly
Besides making the body feel fresher, exercise makes the heart healthier because it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. To exercise, you don't need to go to the gym . Simply by jogging or walking around your neighborhood, cycling, or doing aerobics at home.
Not only when exercising, you should also get used to always being active. For example, while in the office, you can take a moment to stand up and stretch your legs and arms. This stretch is enough to help the heart in pumping blood.
Get enough sleep
Adequate sleep for 7-8 hours a day helps prevent you from heart disease. With enough rest, blood circulation becomes smoother and the body can work better. Meanwhile, lack of sleep increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart attack, and diabetes.
Avoid cigarettes
Thousands of harmful chemicals in cigarettes are not only harmful to the heart, but also to the whole body. For the heart, smoking causes narrowing of blood vessels so that the heart and other organs can be deprived of oxygen and blood.
For those of you who are used to smoking, quitting is not an easy thing. You can reduce it gradually. With a strong commitment to a healthy life, you can change towards a better lifestyle.
Those are habits you can do to maintain heart health. Come on, start implementing a healthy lifestyle from now on and don't forget to invite the people closest to you too. #LiveExcellently