Now more than ever it is important to find ways to build a healthy heart. There are a few ways to maintain a healthy heart like eating a balanced diet, not smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and exercising. Regular heart screenings will help to monitor blood pressure and cholesterol levels and help you to maintain healthy cardiovascular function. While it is important to stay physically healthy, it is equally vital to have a happy heart. Some ways to feel better and have a happy heart are to seek out activities that you enjoy and spend time with those you love.
A happy heart comes from reduced stress. It’s normal for life to have its ups and downs; however poorly controlled stress has been linked to compromised health. Seek out relaxing activities such as painting, yoga, a stroll around a park, and coffee with a friend. Social interaction and relaxing activities are important for a healthy, happy heart. Stress management techniques like deep breathing exercises and spending time with loved ones will not only improve the emotional state but physical health of the heart.
Take a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Stress is a major factor for poor heart health. Luckily, stress can be managed! Unfortunately, it can be easy to let stress take over your life; and we’ve all heard someone tell us to take a deep breath. While that can seem like just an expression, it is a medically proven fact that taking a few deep breaths can alert your brain to calm your body down and immediately relieve stress.
A healthy heart is fed with natural, lean, and minimally processed foods. There are many heart healthy recipes that make it easy to feed our bodies in a healthy and delicious way while also protecting our hearts. There are quite a few superfoods that are good for your heart. These foods are low in saturated fats and contain no trans fats. A heart healthy food is low in salt and high in fiber. Basically, if it comes from the earth like a vegetable or fruit, it will be good for you. Lean cuts of meat are also good for you because it will be lower in fats and are great sources of protein.
High fiber foods such as whole wheat pasta is an easy way to prepare a heart healthy recipe that is also delicious. The good thing about whole wheat pasta is it doesn’t have an unusual taste. There are also many spaghetti sauce companies that advertise on their jar that their product is heart healthy. Tomatoes are fantastic superfoods that have wonderful benefits for heart health. Serve with a salad and this easy meal can be prepared in less than thirty minutes. Another great thing about pasta is that it can be refrigerated and saved for lunch the next day!
Stress management is very important for building and maintaining a healthy heart. We all know that too much stress can cause physical problems, and your heart is not immune to that risk. Take time, slow it down, stretch it out, take a breath, and take a break. You are not alone and Senior Helpers of Chattanooga is here to provide the high level of services you can feel good about offering your elderly loved one, in the comforts and privacy of their own home. If you would like more information about in-home help for seniors and elderly, call 423-710-1500, to learn about the services provided in your area. Senior Helpers of Chattanooga provides a wide range of services including Alzheimer’s and dementia care, personal assistance, companionship, and so much more to all areas of Chattanooga, Hixson, Cleveland, Ooltewah, Signal Mountain.