Taking care of your heart

 

Our bodies are a sacred, although are seldom treated so. We subject our bodies to bad lifestyle habits, poor diet, pollution, horrible environment and yet expect it to carry out different task effortlessly. 

Young people might not realize how much they will regret their shenanigans, but as we age, the bad habits catch up, especially when it comes to the health of the heart. 

It takes some time for the arteries to clog up, so the deep fries during the youth will still haunt you, albeit not immediately. Since heart is the powerhouse of the body, it is not possible to live normally with an ill heart.

 However, all is not bleak still. Fixing habits even later in life can have positive impact on the health of the heart and ergo overall quality of life as well.  However, people who have a serious disease history ought to visit the top internal medicine specialist in Karachi as they might need medication etc. as well. 

Following are some of the ways to take care of your heart health: 

Fix the diet

Eating well is the most important thing for the heart, and conversely, eating bad is the worst thing that can be done to the heart. Healthy eating doesn’t mean to consuming plain and unflavored meals but instead it involves eating a balanced meal. 

Natural foods should always be preferred to processed food. Saturated and trans fats have to go. If that is particularly hard, then at least trying to decrease the frequency of the fatty food intake. Similarly, people with already diagnosed heart problems especially hypertension, need to cut down on the salt content in their diet.

Also, it is vital to undo the damage that has been done to the health by taking antioxidants. 

Exercise

Exercise holds such negative connotation for most people, the exception being the exercise fiends who find it invigorating (and rightly so). They perceive of it as something akin to torture, which of course it is not. 

Exercise is tough, yes, but all it takes is some consistency and discipline. You do not need to lift heavy weights or make your muscles cry every time you work out. A nice stroll through the park, some fun jog, being more active etc. are all forms of exercise that work well to improve the health of the heart. 

Hence, rather than being absolute couch potatoes, be more active in the domestic chores. Take the stairs more often. Do your own cleaning. Once you have these baby steps covered, make an exercise plan. It will be hard at first, but once the habit forms, you will love it!

Lifestyle changes

While the heart does not need a military strict lifestyle for its better health, but a little discipline indeed will go a long way.

SO, sleep at night and have a nice sleeping schedule which allows you to have adequate amount of shuteye Similarly, have proper mealtimes. Starving and overeating are bad for health in general as they interfere with weight and hence, heart’s functionality. Do not eat in bed as it also causes weight gain and also prevents peaceful sleep. 

Similarly, smoking and healthy heart cannot coexist. Cardiovascular diseases are caused by smoking and every year, thousands of people die because of it. People who are obese and overweight need to lose the extra pounds to decrease the chances of heart disease. 

Stop stressing

No one consciously asks for stress, but things happen in life. Trouble looms when its chronic stress as it not just affects the circulation system but jeopardizes the health of the heart as well. Some people are better able to control their stress levels, the sensitive lot have a harder time. 

People should then explore and practice meditation, breathing exercises, mindfulness and yoga as they all are very effective in helping moderate the stress levels. 

Regular checkups 

For older people and those already diagnosed with coronary heart disease, it is very important to continuously monitor their stats. Thus, getting lipid profile tests done alongside scheduled visits to the top internal medicine specialist in Islamabad is vital for keeping track of health. Check for the one of the best cardiologist in Singapore.