It’s that time of year again when the gyms are packed full of motivated and determined people to have a year of fitness and better health. This year in 2018 we should all strive to live heart healthy lives to promote our overall wellbeing and health. And while it may slip our minds with all of the temptations around us, by making simple changes to our daily lives, and switching out our bad habits for good ones, it will make a tremendous difference that our hearts, bodies, and minds will be thanking us for in the long run.
It is a known fact that heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States for quite some time. This devastating condition has impacted millions of lives around the world, and it is time that we take matters into our own hands to end heart disease, and live our lives in such a way that will decrease our risks as much as possible to promote heart health. The Mayo Clinic defines heart disease as narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke. Other heart conditions such as those that affect your heart’s muscle, valves or rhythms, also are considered forms of heart disease.
Living in our world, we should all be aware of the risks and the signs and symptoms of heart, so we don’t end up in a position where it is too late to recover from. Signs and symptoms of heart disease in women differ from the signs and symptoms in men, which, unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know. In women, signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease include, diabetes, mental stress and depression, smoking, physical inactivity, menopause, takosubo cardiomyopathy (broken heart syndrome), pregnancy complications, poor diet, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and inflammatory diseases such as lupus. Having a family history of heart disease automatically increases a person’s risk for developing heart disease in their lifetime. However, being informed of these signs allows us to pay close attention and stay in tune with our bodies so that we can understand what these signs mean and take proper care of ourselves in a timely manner.
There are several ways to reduce the risks for developing heart disease. They include, quit or do not begin smoking, exercise on a regular basis, maintain a healthy weight, and eat foods that are healthy. By doing these few things, it will help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and cholesterol levels, as well as strengthens our bodies.
Living a lifestyle that promotes our heart health will help reduce the risk of developing heart disease by quite a large margin. It is a bonus that living a healthy lifestyle decreases the chances of developing other chronic diseases as well, keeps us in good shape, increases our life span, and improves our energy levels. It is vital for our bodies’ sake, to live in a way that is healthy, so we can reach our highest potential as women.
This year in 2018 it is time to take the initiative, and live in such a way that will help us feel good all the way around and reduce the risk of heart disease, which is the number one killer of women in the United States. Simple changes made to daily routines or major changes, depending on what type of lifestyle you are currently living, will help make this year the year you become your best and healthiest self.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 min/week of moderate aerobic activity, and 75 min/week of vigorous aerobic activity. Splitting this up evenly comes out to be approximately 30 minutes of physical exercise for 5 days a week.This could mean making small active changes in your daily routine, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If the grocery store is close enough walk or ride your bike there, do that instead of driving. Little changes such as these can make huge differences. It is important to make these changes and to set aside time to put physical exercise in your daily routine. It not only improves your physical health, but exercising releases endorphins, which can boost your mood, as well as is a great stress relief. Finding the type of activity that you like best will make said exercise even easier to incorporate in your daily life, so find the most rewarding and enjoyable so it’s more of a hobby, and not a burden.
Another component that is important is to maintain a healthy balance is in our diets. In the United States we are constantly surrounded by unhealthy foods full of saturated and trans fats, all foods that scream risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and so many other awful and serious conditions. It is vital to be educated and to make conscious decisions while eating, so that the foods we eat will be helping and boosting us up instead of tearing our bodies down.
One way that doctors use to calculate whether we are at a healthy body fat percentage is using the BMI (Body Mass Index) measurement, which is a calculation, based on your height and weight. Generally speaking, in women having a BMI over 25 entails that there is an increased risk for heart disease. However there are many other factors that determine whether you have a proper amount of body fat. Having a diet that is centered on having utmost wellness is important and can only help. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a healthy diet includes eating lots of greens like spinach and kale, and a mixture of lots of different fruits. They also recommend eating whole grains such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain breads and tortillas. Eating fat free or low fat dairy products such as 2% milk, cheese, and yogurt is beneficial as well. It is highly encouraged to eat lots of protein rich foods and have a variety of them such as, fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy products, legumes, such as kidney beans and lentils. When it comes to oils and fats they recommend to have foods with high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to help lower blood cholesterol and decrease risk of heart disease. Foods that include these are, nuts, nuts and seed butter, salmon and trout, avocadoes, and tofu. By eating healthy foods in our lives we help our hearts, our skin, our minds, and our overall wellbeing. It isn’t about “going on a diet” but about changing our lifestyles. It will help and benefit us in the future and the good news is that in today’s world with organic and healthy foods becoming more and more popular there are endless ways to make healthy foods taste amazing with thousands of recipes.
When it comes to the mental aspect of our health, as mentioned earlier, having too much stress and struggling with depression can be a risk factor for heart disease. Stress weighs our bodies down and makes our hearts work harder. It is so important to take the time to take care of us, and 2018 is the perfect year for self-care. It is important to decompress after a long day, and do things that help us cope with our stress, whether that is yoga, or exercising, or talking to a therapist, or it may even include unwinding with a mindfulness coloring book. Pick an activity that helps you calm down, and keep you in a healthy mental state, as mental health is just as fragile as our physical health. And if we don’t take care of our minds, it will take a plummeting and disastrous toll on our bodies and on our lives.
Overall, in 2018 make it a year of living a heart healthy life. By eating healthier and being conscious of our bodies and where we are at mentally and physically will help us become better overall and become happier as well. It is so important to take care of ourselves, and it is about time we take the initiative to end heart disease, and take control of our bodies.