Thin Blog

Our heart is a complex organ, but keeping it healthy is relatively simple. The heart pumps blood and generates oxygen to fuel all of our vital organs. The great news is that whatever is good for the heart is also healthy for our bodies. The following keys will help us attain a heart healthy life.

1. Start with a healthy diet. We need to limit our fat intake. Fat has several good qualities such as providing taste to our food, and transporting vitamins and nutrients to key organs in our bodies. However, to much fat blocks the arteries which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Fiber is also very important to a heart healthy diet. Eating fiber helps us reduce the absorption of dietary fat, cholesterol, and triglycerides. The old saying, an apple a day (with the peeling of course) keeps the heart doctor away, is true. We also need to eliminate excessive salt abuse. Your body doesn’t want or need extra sodium. Extra sodium overloads your kidneys’ ability to regulate blood pressure, resulting in increased stress on your heart.
2. Get Moving! Exercise, or physical fitness is essential to keeping your muscles strong, healthy, and to generate oxygen throughout your body. Exercise helps keep the arteries free of plaque, and helps our bodies convert food into energy. Physical fitness also reduces unhealthy stress, another huge factor for heart disease.
3. Take Charge of Your Heart Health! This means: know your family health history, monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol, don’t put off getting your yearly physical examinations, and know the warning signs of a heart attack.

Warning signs of on oncoming heart attack may vary between men and women. Below are some of the warning signals.

• Feeling breathlessness, often without chest pain.
• Flu-like symptoms–clamminess, cold, sweats, and nausea
• Pain in upper back, shoulders, neck, or jaw
• Feelings of anxiety
• Unexplained excessive fatigue or difficulty sleeping

If you have any of these symptoms please call 911 or seek medical attention.

Remember for a Heart Healthy Life you need to eat a low fat diet, increase your fiber, reduce your salt intake and to exercise regularly.

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