22 Diet Changes for a Stronger Heart After 40
When you put good in, you get good out, so start shopping with your heart in mind. By following this grocery guide, you’ll lower the number on the scale and decrease your heart disease risk.
If you love your heart, you’ll start shopping smart. Otherwise, you’re putting your body at risk of diabetes and high cholesterol by ignoring this organ—and it’s not as if your risk isn’t sky-high already. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in every 4 deaths in the United States has heart disease to blame.
So don’t be a statistic; beat the odds and set yourself up for success with a disease-fighting diet. Heart health is made in the kitchen and in the gym, but we’re beginning with the basics. Here are the foods that don’t belong in your grocery cart, followed by those that definitely do. read more →
Sleep & Heart Disease
Exercise and eating nutritious foods aren’t the only things that can help increase heart health; sleep is also a factor. The better night’s rest you get, the healthier your heart will be. According to a 2011 study by the American Heart Association, poor sleep quality is linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, a potential cause of heart disease.
“Our study shows for the first time that poor quality sleep puts individuals at significantly increased risk of developing high blood pressure,” said Susan Redline, M.D., the study’s co-author, in a statement. read more →
Tips for Better Heart Health
Your heart works hard for you nonstop for your whole life. So show it some TLC. Making small changes in your habits can make a real difference to your ticker.
“It’s like finding the fountain of youth,” says Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. “People who follow these steps not only live longer, but they also spend a lot more time healthy, without cardiovascular disease.”
Even better? You don’t have to work on all 10 steps at once. Even if you improve just one or two of these areas, you can make yourself less likely to get heart disease. Of course, the more tips on this list you follow, the better. So let’s get started. read more →
