{"id":12747,"date":"2022-02-01T05:15:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-01T05:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/?p=12747"},"modified":"2022-01-31T15:17:44","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T15:17:44","slug":"the-best-habits-and-foods-to-promote-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.foresters.com\/en-gb\/well-being-en-gb\/the-best-habits-and-foods-to-promote-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The best habits and foods to promote heart health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>February is more than just the shortest month of the year. It\u2019s the month where we stop and reflect on the importance of our heart health and learn more about the steps we can take to manage and prevent heart disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, since it\u2019s Heart Month, let\u2019s look at some risk factors and the most helpful tips to keep your heart healthy for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:17px\"><strong>Three most common risk factors for heart disease and stroke<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The most common risk factor is typically <strong>high blood pressure, <\/strong>also known as<strong> hypertension. <\/strong>Nearly 1.3 billion adults across the world suffer from high blood pressure<sup>1<\/sup>,making it one of the leading factors behind heart disease globally. This condition occurs when the pressure of blood pushing against your blood vessels is consistently too high. There are no visible signs of high blood pressure and it can only be identified by having your blood pressure taken.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found within our blood to help with building healthy cells. <strong>High cholesterol <\/strong>occurs when there is a build-up of low-density lipoproteins, or \u201cbad cholesterol,\u201d in your arteries. This condition leads to fatty deposits in your blood vessels.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Diabetes <\/strong>limits your body\u2019s ability to make insulin or use the insulin it does make as well as it should. Insulin helps move glucose from food to your body\u2019s cells for energy. When you have diabetes, the sugar levels in your blood rise which can lead to damaged blood vessels and a greater risk of developing heart disease.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:17px\"><strong>Keeping your heart healthy through foods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Leafy green vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">Vegetables like spinach and kale are packed full of vitamin K, a helpful nutrient that protects arteries and fights blood clotting. Leafy green vegetables also help to reduce blood pressure through dietary nitrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Berries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">The antioxidants found in strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries help to prevent inflammation caused by oxidation in your cells. Berries also decrease bad cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure by improving cell function in your blood vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nuts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">Nuts like walnuts and almonds provide a wealth of nutrients like vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and unsaturated fats that go a long way to reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Olive oil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">Olive oil is a key component of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heartuk.org.uk\/healthy-diets\/the-mediterranean-diet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mediterranean diet<\/a>, and is a staple in any diet focused on improving heart health. Extra virgin olive oil contains high amounts of vitamin E and K as well as powerful antioxidants that help fight inflammation in your arteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:17px\"><strong>Habits to kick for improved heart health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Quit smoking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">By giving up smoking, the walls of your arteries loosen up and widen, your heart rate improves, and your cholesterol returns to healthy levels. By sticking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/quit-smoking\/nhs-stop-smoking-services-help-you-quit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">helpful habits and techniques<\/a> to keep your body smoke-free, you\u2019ll see growing improvements in your heart health overtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stressing out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">Stress raises your blood pressure and strains your cardiovascular system, causing permanent damage. While stress itself is damaging to your heart, some common coping mechanisms for stress can also put you at risk. Avoid coping with drinking and overeating, instead, go for a walk or meditate to bring your stress levels down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Heavy drinking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">Alcohol abuse actively thins your heart muscle and affects its ability to pump blood. When heart disease is caused by alcohol abuse it is referred to as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/alcoholism\/cardiomyopathy#symptoms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alcoholic cardiomyopathy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:17px\"><strong>Habits to practice for better heart health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Getting regular exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">You only need to get about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week to help your heart.<sup>2 <\/sup>This activity can be going for a bike ride, taking a brisk walk, or even doing some gardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Get seven hours of sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\">If you\u2019re getting less than seven hours of sleep each night, you aren\u2019t giving your body the opportunity to lower your blood pressure. More sleep means your body\u2019s blood pressure stays lower for longer. To get better sleep, stick to a regular sleep schedule throughout the week, avoid artificial light before bedtime and keep your bedroom dark and cool at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Sources<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<sup>1<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/hypertension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/hypertension<\/a><br>\n<sup>2<\/sup> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/fitness\/expert-answers\/exercise\/faq-20057916\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/fitness\/expert-answers\/exercise\/faq-20057916<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-top:-15px\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A handy little guide for strengthening your heart. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":12719,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1937],"tags":[1986,1979],"class_list":{"0":"post-12747","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-well-being-en-gb","8":"tag-exercise-2","9":"tag-health-2"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.2 - 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