The heart is one of the most important parts of our body. It’s responsible for pumping blood to all parts of our body and without a healthy heart, it would be difficult for us to live a normal life. With this in mind, I want to share my tips on how you can make sure your heart is healthy.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Get enough sleep.
- Take care of your teeth and gums.
- Make sure you eat a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Quit smoking.
- Control your blood pressure.
- See your doctor regularly for checkups
Drink plenty of water
One of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to drink plenty of water. Water helps to keep our blood pressure stable and prevents our body from becoming dehydrated. It also helps to flush out toxins and keep our arteries clear.
Start the day with a glass of water and try to drink at least two litres (eight glasses) throughout the rest of the day.
Getting enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is essential for our overall health and wellbeing. It helps to keep our immune system strong, improves our mood and reduces stress levels. Most importantly, it helps to keep our heart healthy. When we don’t get enough sleep, our body becomes stressed and this can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Try to get around eight hours of sleep per night and make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.
Taking care of your teeth and gums
One of the best ways to keep your heart healthy is to take care of your teeth and gums. When our teeth and gums are healthy, it means that there is less inflammation in our body. This, in turn, reduces the risk of heart disease.
Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day and floss at least once a day. See your dentist for regular checkups.
If you can’t afford to see a dentist, make sure you brush your teeth with toothpaste and water at least twice a day.
Eating a healthy diet
Extensive studies have associated Oatmeal health benefits with plenty of heart-healthy benefits, such as lowering cholesterol (both total and “bad” LDL cholesterol) and helping with weight control.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things we can do to keep our heart healthy and functioning properly. A nutritious and balanced diet provides our body with all the essential nutrients it needs to stay strong and function at its best.
Make sure you eat enough fruit and vegetables every day. They have a low level of calories, but are packed with important nutrients. Also try to reduce or cut out your consumption of processed foods or drinks high in sugar, which can put you at risk of obesity and heart problems.
Exercise on regular basis
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your heart. It strengthens our heart muscle, improves blood flow and reduces inflammation.
Aim to do around 30 minutes of exercise every day. If that’s too difficult, try to break it into smaller chunks throughout the day. For example, try to take 15 minutes out three times a day.
Take a walk or do some gardening, swimming or yoga. You can also try more energetic activities such as running, cycling or playing tennis.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your heart health. It increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
Smoking not only damages your lungs and increases your risk of cancer, it also damages the inner lining of your arteries. This increases the risk of blood clots forming which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
If you want to keep your heart healthy, quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do.
Control your blood pressure
When our blood pressure is high, it puts extra strain on our heart, which can lead to a number of health problems, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
Consult a Doctor
Seeing your doctor on a regular basis is one of the best ways to keep your heart healthy. Your doctor will be able to monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and will be able to advise you on how to keep your heart healthy.
If you have any concerns about your heart health, make sure you see your doctor as soon as possible.
You can visit a General Surgeon in Karachi at Agha Khan University Hospital.
