4 Ways To Be Heart Smart

Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy heart and Lifestyle

We are constantly looking for new research to help improve the lives of our clients, friends, and family.  Over the years, we have discovered that all too often people are looking for the magic bullet to be healthy. We help people lose weight with hypnosis and gastric banding but at the end of the day, the best way to a healthy lifestyle is to live a life that ensures that you never have to diet.

Some of the latest research shows that your lifestyle has a bigger impact on your heart health than your genes. You might have been blessed with so-called good genes but recent studies show that your lifestyle can over-ride the effect of your genes.  It appears,  90% of us have a lifestyle risk factor for heart disease. These risk factors include a poor diet, excessive alcohol, low amounts of exercise, and overeating.  They can all be overcome by a little effort.

The following tips can go a long way to keep your heart healthy:

1. Aim For Eight Portions

People that have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day are 22% less likely to die of a heart attack. Of the 5 portions aim for a maximum of two fruit portions a day. Fruit contains high amounts of fructose which in excess is stored in the liver and body as fats. A healthy portion is roughly 80 gms which is equivalent to a small piece of fruit, half a cup of cooked vegetables or a cup of salad.

2. Screen Your TV Time

Research has found that people who regularly spend the night in front of the TV are more than twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than those who spend less than 2 hours watching TV. Prolonged sitting causes inflammation and increases the cholesterol level due to lack of exercise.

3. Have A Cup Of Tea

People who enjoy at least 6 cups of tea daily reduce their chance of heart disease by at least 45%. People who drink green tea increase this percentage even more.  Up to 2 cups of good coffee, a day has also proven to drop the risk of heart disease by about 20%. These beverages contain antioxidants which cause a positive effect.

4. Exercise

At least 20 minutes of exercise per day reduces the incidence of heart disease dramatically. To be healthy, you don’t have to go to the gym, simple walking will help. Even this doesn’t have to be all at once or every day. Park your car further from office,  walk up the stairs, or do anything that can increase physical movement.

 

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