Taking care of your heart is essential if you want to live a long, healthy life.
But it’s not always easy to know how or where to start. You probably already know the healthy heart cornerstones – eat well and exercise frequently, but what about other simple yet effective ideas?
That’s exactly what we’re talking about today. Take care of your heart with these five pieces of advice.
1. Season Wisely
Certain foods seem to be begging for a little extra salt. French fries, a slice of beef, homemade dips and sauces; it’s hard not to give the salt bottle an extra shake when foods like these are on the menu.
But of course, a high sodium diet is a major healthy heart adversary. This is why you must rethink how you season your foods when you’re preparing meals at home.
When you want to add extra zip to your meals, put down the salt shaker and try these salt-less hacks:
- Stir in fresh basil leaves when seasoning pasta
- Top meats and fish with herbs like mint, rosemary, and sage or freshly grated ginger
- In sauces and dips, add in fresh chopped scallions, parsley, or cilantro
- Use no-sodium salt substitutes when you want the real thing, minus the health risks
By incorporating a few ultra-tasty and sodium-free herbs and seasonings, you can turn your salt-laden meals into more heart-healthy plates without compromising taste.
2. Quit Smoking
If you smoke but want to take care of your heart, quit and quit now! We’re not trying to sound like your nagging doctor or anything, but tobacco products damage your heart with every puff you take.
It’s not just tobacco cigarettes, either. This article explains the dangers of smoking blunts, for all you cannabis enthusiasts out there.
3. Manage Stress Effectively
Stress is indeed the silent killer. This is because the way you handle stress can bring about unexpected and deadly consequences, particularly when it comes to heart health.
While it’s almost impossible to live a life free of stress, it is completely possible to find better ways to manage it to lessen its impact on your heart health.
For example, you can try:
- Taking long walks after dinner each evening
- Meditation, which you can practice with the help of an app or online tutorial
- Reading or journaling before bed to help you unwind and induce sleep
- Having a personal spa day on the weekend, pampering yourself with at-home manis, pedis, and baths.
When you follow stress-reducing techniques like these, you create healthy habits that benefit your heart.
4. Keep an Eye on the Scale
Maintaining a healthy weight is another vital goal to taking care of your heart. No one likes to step on that scale, but keeping your weight in check can mean the difference between a robust heart and a not-so-healthy ticker.
To make it easier on yourself, weigh yourself only once a week. Don’t obsess over the numbers, either. The idea isn’t to stress over the digits you see, it’s to get to a healthy weight range for your age and height and stay within it.
5. Find Exercises That Pique Your Interest
If you want to take care of your heart, exercising is a must. But if you haven’t laced up your running shoes in a while, you may feel less than jazzed about the prospect.
This is probably because you don’t have a fitness routine that keeps you motivated. It’s all too common to start an exercise regime only to abandon it a week or two after starting because it’s tiresome and dull.
Well, not anymore! Find your perfect workout plan and get your exercise destiny back under control.
It may delight you how quickly you adapt to new exercises once you find the ones that suit your style and schedule.
Conclusion
Taking care of your heart is a lifelong quest. But it doesn’t have to be overly complicated.
Consider these five pieces of advice and incorporate them into your daily life. You will no doubt feel healthier, stronger, and fitter than ever once you do.
And as a bonus, these health benefits come without a crazy schedule overhaul and adapting one of those pesky fad diets.
