Keep your Heart Healthy

Chandi Schwab

Every year more than 1 million people suffer from a heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US. Even if you have uncontrollable risk factors for heart disease, it doesn't mean that you can't take steps to limit your risk. Now and always is the time to be thinking about our health and to live a lifestyle that has our health in our best interest. What is it we can do to keep our heart healthy?

Stick to a nutritious, well-balanced diet: This advice might make you groan if your usual lunch consists of cheeseburgers with french fries or pizza slices topped with sausage. But the good news is that diet isn't an all-or-nothing affair. A heart-healthy diet means a diet that's low in fat, cholesterol, and salt, and high in fruits, vegetables, grains, and fiber. But it doesn't mean that you can never have pizza or ice cream again. You could start by telling yourself that you will eat a big leafy green salad first, and then you will have one slice of cheese pizza, not three slices with sausage.
Experts point out that a heart-healthy diet should be the routine. That way, when you have high-fat food every now and then, you're still on track. Making a high-fat diet the routine is asking for trouble.

Like exercise, good eating habits need to start early. Teaching your children to eat well is one of the most loving things you can do for them. Your children tend to follow your lead, eat what you eat, and eat what you put in front of them. It's up to you how often you put a banana in front of them instead of high-fat cookies.

Other things to keep in check:

*Regular exercise(at least half hour a day)

*Control your blood pressure

*Control blood cholesterol

*Prevent and manage diabetes

*Quit smoking.

*Minimize stress