A Hearty Life

Hearty Habits #22: Practical Heart Healthy Tips

by Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD on September 28th, 2006

Check out this list of heart healthy tips from reader Amélie in celebration of last Sunday’s World Heart Day. Each tip will bring you one step closer to a healthier heart.

1. Read A Hearty Life, and/or add it to your LiveJournal friends here.
2. Go for a walk. It’s Sunday, the weather isn’t too bad yet (or is starting to get nicer, depending on which hemisphere you’re on), it’s the perfect day to go outside. Keep up the exercise regularly, even if it’s just going for a walk.
3. Have an apple instead of that Snickers bar or packet of crisps. Yes, you know what I’m talking about. Fruits and nuts are much healthier snacks, and you’ll feel like a better person afterwards.
4. Don’t snack if you’re not hungry. It sounds silly, but how often do you eat snacks out of boredom or habit rather than hunger? Are you sure you can’t wait until it’s time for dinner?
5. Cook your own food. Ready-made meals are full of salt, sugar and additives that are really bad for you. And once you get into it, it doesn’t take too long and it can be fun.
6. Cook with herbs instead of salt. It’s more tasty and varied this way, and it’ll help your blood pressure stay low. It’s just a matter of getting into the habit of not using too much salt, and you might as well start now.
7. Organize your meals around veggies. Pulses and beans are good to add. Meat is an option, but it shouldn’t be the main part of a meal, especially not red meat. It varies depending on age and gender, but you need around 50g of protein a day - that’s one smallish piece of meat every 3 days, not counting the protein you get in grains, legumes and dairy products. I bet you’re getting far too much protein.
8. If you do eat meat, change it to fish regularly.
9. Eat a wide variety of foods in order to get all the nutrients you need.
10. Eat wholegrain. Buy brown bread instead of white (which is loaded with sugar and salt anyway).
11. Choose low-fat or fat-free milk and yoghurt. Buy a nice margarine instead of fatty butter.

Heart disease isn’t pleasant. Do all you can, as soon as you can, to help reduce your risks.

Your heart is irreplaceable, and it needs to stay healthy for as long as you live. Keep it in good shape.

Thank you, Amélie! I hope everyone takes your advice to heart (pun indeeded) especially on the first to read A Hearty Life!

Technorati Tags: heart, heart disease, cardiovascular, cvd, disease, illness, health, habits

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POSTED IN: Hearty Diet, Hearty Habits