6 Healthy Ways to Take Care of Your Heat
Sometimes we forget that the hardest-working muscle in our bodies is our heart. Your heart has been beating nonstop every day and will continue to do so for your entire life. So, keeping your heart healthy should be a top priority. There are many simple changes you can make to your diet and lifestyle to take care of your heart, and we’ve put together a few of our favorites.
Follow these tips to help support your heart health:
Get your blood flowing
Exercise has many benefits to your health, including heart health. When you exercise, your heart pumps blood with more pressure. This pressure causes the lining of your arteries to release nitric oxide. Nitric oxide then relaxes your blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow through your body.[i] Try for 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day. You can break this into three 10- to 15-minute walks if you need to. If you sit for work, take a break and move around every half hour or so. Get a fitness watch and track your movements to stay motivated.
Choose fats wisely
Most Americans eat too many unhealthy fats, while they are missing the healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish. Flip this by avoiding processed foods and fast foods and by eating fish two times a week. You can also eat nuts like almonds and walnuts or flaxseeds throughout the week to make sure you are getting the essential Omega-3s, ALA. Consider supplementing if you are not getting enough Omega-3s or if you are not always eating as well as you should. Omega-3 Gellys™ are a great option for the whole family, delivering 3x more DHA + EPA to help maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.*†
Stress less
For many people, stress can be a daily battle, and learning to manage stress is an essential component of heart health.[ii] There are many ways to reduce stress including exercise, meditation, consistent sleep, unplugging from computers and cell phones, and just simply laughing more.
Maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is one of your best tools for keeping your heart healthy. If you are overweight, losing even 10 pounds can improve many parameters of heart health. Studies show your waist size is strongly associated with heart health.[iii] Find a weight loss program that suits you, is easy to follow, and has good support. It should help you to maintain lean body mass and be something you can follow for a long time.
Eat for heart health
A heart-healthy diet is one that is low in refined carbohydrates and includes plenty of fish, lean proteins, and lots of vegetables, as well as nuts, low-sugar fruits, and sufficient fiber. Limit red meat, saturated fats, and trans fats. Help keep blood sugar under control by avoiding too many simple sugars.[iv]
Eat for heart health
Choosing the right foods can go a long way to supporting a healthy heart. A heart-healthy diet is one that is low in refined carbohydrates and includes plenty of fish, lean proteins, and lots of vegetables as well as nuts, low-sugar fruits, and sufficient fiber. Limit red meat, saturated fats, and trans fats. Help keep blood sugar under control by avoiding too many simple sugars.[iv]
Supplement for heart health
Nutrition doesn’t have to stop with the food you eat. Complement your heart-healthy diet by adding targeted health solutions to your nutrition routine. Look for supplements like CoQHeart® with Q-Trol® that contain the coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10). This powerful nutrient helps make energy available to every cell in your body and is especially important to your heart.* It also plays a role in supporting blood vessel health.*‡
Show your heart some love
Studies show the best way to help your heart is with a healthy lifestyle, and these simple lifestyle changes can have an extraordinarily positive impact on your heart health. Let’s do what we can to keep our hearts beating strong.
REFERENCES:
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
†Per Gelly compared to other leading Gummies.
‡In laboratory studies.
[i] Green DJ, Maiorana A, O’Driscoll G, Taylor R. Effect of exercise training on endothelium‐derived nitric oxide function in humans. The Journal of physiology. 2004 Nov 1;561(1):1-25.
[ii] Tacón AM, McComb J, Caldera Y, Randolph P. Mindfulness meditation, anxiety reduction, and heart disease: a pilot study. Family & community health. 2003 Jan 1;26(1):25-33.
[iii] Coutinho T, Goel K, de Sá DC, Kragelund C, Kanaya AM, Zeller M, Park JS, Kober L, Torp-Pedersen C, Cottin Y, Lorgis L. Central obesity and survival in subjects with coronary artery disease: a systematic review of the literature and collaborative analysis with individual subject data. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2011 May 10;57(19):1877-86.
[iv] Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, Covas MI, Corella D, Arós F, Gómez-Gracia E, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Lamuela-Raventos RM. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. New England Journal of Medicine. 2013 Apr 4;368(14):1279-90.
