According to the center for disease control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Data reveals heart disease accounts for more than 25% of all deaths. Also known as coronary artery disease, this condition strikes fear in the hearts of many.
To most, heart disease is an almost unavoidable condition. However, contrary to what most people believe, there’s a lot within your control regarding coronary artery diseases. Let’s learn more about heart disease as well as what you can do to minimize your exposure levels.
What is coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease is a heart condition where foreign food material known as plaque builds up in the arteries and vessels that feed the heart. This general condition is called atherosclerosis. The plaque build-up consists of food deposits like cholesterol, fat, and calcium.
Over time, the build-up narrows the blood vessels and starts reducing normal blood flow. If blood flow is partially or wholly constricted, or blood clots form, a person can suffer from strokes and heart attacks.
Fortunately, according to the American Heart Association, about 80% of all heart disease cases are preventable. By developing healthy dietary and lifestyle habits, you can manage and also reduce the clogging up of blood vessels by foreign plaque.
Know healthy and unhealthy blood pressure categories and monitor your own blood pressure to know if you are in a healthy zone (< 120/80). See chart below for reference. You can buy your own home blood pressure monitor or even go to local pharmacies to check your blood pressure for free. Obviously if there are concerns you should always see your family doctor for the best measurements and healthcare recommendations if you need them.
How do you prevent heart disease?
The CDC notes that nearly half of the population is exposed to at least one of the three major risk factors for heart disease. These are tobacco smoking, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure.
THE THREE MAJOR RISK FACTORS FOR HEART DISEASE
- Tobacco Smoking
- High Cholesterol Levels
- High Blood Pressure
By reducing the chances of getting these risk factors, you can significantly prevent the chances of getting heart disease.
So, how do you eliminate these risk factors?
Here are a few simple yet highly effective tips.
1. Develop a heart-healthy diet
The heart is a vital organ in the body, and one of the ways to protect it is by eating a healthy and nutritional diet. A typically heart-healthy diet incorporates lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Additionally, this diet calls for a reduction in saturated fat, sodium, and processed food consumption.
If possible, add a weekly schedule of foods rich in good unsaturated fats such as olive oil and fatty fish. Moreover, you can eat more fishy foods like salmon or other fatty fish. These foods are rich in omega-3, which is credited with lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease.
2. Quit smoking
A single puff of tobacco smoke can contain over 4000 harmful toxins. One of the easiest ways to protect your heart is by keeping away from tobacco smoke.
If you’re an avid smoker, you can try methods such as mindful meditation to help you break the addiction. The simple exercise of substituting smoking time with meditation time can save your life.
Additionally, it’s important to realize even non-smokers are at risk of secondary smoke. Secondary smoke can increase your chance of developing heart-related conditions by 30%. So, if you hang around smokers or stay in poorly ventilated smoking areas for long, your heart may end up paying the price.
3. Start exercising and meditating
One simple yet highly effective strategy to keeping healthy and avoiding heart conditions is regular exercise and meditation. Stress remains one of the significant contributors to conditions like blood pressure.
To get rid of this stress, you can start a simple exercise routine. This will also help physically improve blood circulation throughout the body.
The simple process of meditation – even for a few minutes a day, can help you deal with stressful situations in your life. With the help of meditation guides and modern tech solutions, you can now meditate with ease at home, or work, or anywhere. As a matter of fact, once you learn how to meditate, you can use these skills anywhere and everywhere you go as you now own these skills and don’t need anything to practice them.
Like most, you may have believed there’s little you can do to prevent heart attacks. The truth, as highlighted above, is very different. There’s a lot you can do to reduce the chances of developing coronary artery disease and lead a healthy life.
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