5 things to do today for a healthy, happy heart

Mother and daughter showing love by making heart shape with hands at Long bay park, Auckland, New Zealand.
Mother and daughter showing love by making heart shape with hands at Long bay park, Auckland, New Zealand.

Do all of these activities each day as part of your routine and you will have a healthy, happy heart that will keep beating strong.

We all know that exercise and a good diet can keep your heart healthy. But what else can you do to keep your ticker going strong? Here are five key things you need to do every day to help your heart work most efficiently.

Say no to salt

To help lower high blood pressure, watch your salt intake. It may be disguised in food labels as sodium alginate, sodium sulfite, sodium caseinate, disodium phosphate, sodium benzoate, sodium hydroxide, monosodium glutamate (MSG), or sodium citrate.

Drink more water

Take a water bottle with you wherever you go. It’ll keep you hydrated and the bottle’s weight will strengthen your arms. Drinking more water not only keeps you hydrated but also promotes fat loss, important for maintaining a healthy weight, and heart.

Eat a healthy fat

We need fats in our diet, including saturated and polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats. One fat we don’t need is trans fat, which is known to increase your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke over a lifetime. This is because trans fat clogs your arteries by raising your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and lowering your good cholesterol levels (HDL). By cutting them from your diet, you improve the blood flow throughout your body. So, what are trans fats? They are industry-produced fats often used in packaged baked goods, snack foods, margarines and fried fast foods to add flavour and texture.

Floss!

Dental health is a good indication of overall health, including your heart, because those who have periodontal (gum) disease often have the same risk factors for heart disease. Studies continue on this issue, but many have shown that bacteria in the mouth involved in the development of gum disease can move into the bloodstream and cause an elevation in C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood vessels. These changes may in turn, increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Do something you will love

A crossword; phone your best friend; read a book; watch a comedy show; anything that is happy and positive, and will make your heart smile.

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