Cardiovascular diseases or heart diseases are one of major killers across the globe. India specifically is known as the diabetic capital of the world and contributes significantly towards the mounting risk of heart diseases. However, besides the uncontrollable genetic factors, there are some risk factors that one can manage to reduce their risk of having a cardiovascular disease. 

The risk of getting a heart disease increase with one’s age, genetic conditions, medical history, and lifestyle habits. Several research studies have suggested that making a few simple tweaks in one’s daily lifestyle and food habits can reduce the risk of heart disease potentially in the long run. Here are a few simple ways you can make a world of difference to your probability of getting heart disease and boost your heart health effectively:

 

How to Boost Your Heart Health & Make Your Heart Stronger?

 

• Consume Adequate Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are a natural and the most potent medium of getting nutrients for your body that are not just super beneficial but also extremely low on the calorie count. Consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables in your everyday diet helps you maintain a healthy body weight, achieve your desired BMI, and reduce any inflammation in the body. Any vegetable or fruit that is rich in nutrients and micronutrients but scores low on fat must make a place in your diet to strengthen your heart health and keep heart diseases at bay.

• Ditch the Sedentary Lifestyle & Keep Moving

Your heart is a muscle and just like every other muscle in your body, it also needs to move and exercise to get strong. Depending on your heart rate, body type, and daily routine, you can choose between moderate to vigorous daily exercises to keep your heart racing and fit. 

If you’re just getting started with the exercise, it is recommended to take it slow and keep stepping up gradually. It is advisable to undertake 150 minutes of aerobics and 75 minutes of any strenuous physical activity per week to boost your heart health.

 

• Cut Down/Quit Smoking & Alcohol

The rule is pretty simple – if you already smoke, cut down the quantity and if you don’t, make sure you don’t even start it in the first place. The doctors at American Heart Association recommend stopping the consumption of alcohol and tobacco-based products for a healthy heart. Excessive intake of alcohol can prove to be fatal while resulting in a stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and damage to heart muscles.

• Include a Handful of Healthy Nuts in Your Diet

Though all nuts have their specific health benefits, almonds and walnuts have a plethora of nutritional value and advantages that are proven to boost your cardiovascular health. Doctors and cardiologists advise having a handful of almonds every day as they help lower blood sugar, manage blood pressure levels, and are also effective at reducing cholesterol.

Walnuts are also densely packed with Omega-3 fatty acids that are proven to be helpful in strengthening cardiovascular arteries and bringing down the inflammation due to heart disease.

• Meet Up Socially 

Though this advice looks a bit out of the place here, several studies have established that loneliness, anxiety, and depression have been linked with the hardening of the arteries. This further leads to high blood pressure and heart disease eventually. Loneliness also raises cortisol, the stress hormone, that makes the heart pace faster to compensate for the irregularity in blood circulation.

Meet up with friends, reconnect with your old friends, expand your social circle, and engage in lighter conversations to help yourself destress and rejuvenate for optimal cardiovascular health.

• Lose 5-10% of Your Body Weight

Losing weight brings plenty of health benefits besides boosting your heart health. Several experts have established the fact in their studies that if you’re obese, losing just 5-10% of your body weight makes a lot of difference by boosting your metabolic profile. If you’ve high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels, losing some weight will automatically bring down these levels and ensure better cardiovascular health. Switching to eating fewer calories a day (based on your current body weight and type) together with regular exercise is the key to witnessing faster and more sustainable weight loss results.

• Adopt Healthy Cooking Methods 

Deep frying or cooking a vegetable for longer hours kills the nutrients in them and makes it a futile effort for you to cook and consume such vegetables. Instead, switch to baking, grilling, roasting, boiling, steaming, or poaching vegetables and food items as they help preserve the natural nutrients in them. 

Say no to butter and ghee and switch to natural, low-fat oils with appropriate smoking points. Reducing the amount of salt, sugar, and spices is also beneficial for improving your heart health and preventing heart diseases.

 

Besides the above ways to strengthen your cardiovascular health, it is also beneficial to meditate for a few minutes during the day. Consumption of wine and chocolate in appropriate quantities is also recommended to boost your heart health.

If you fall between the heart disease risk factors or have any symptoms, it is best to not speculate and see a doctor right away. Consult with the best cardiologist or cardiovascular surgeon near you and get timely expert care for strong heart health.