Thank your heart!

Your heart does an incredible job, beating around 100,000 times a day to pump blood throughout your body.

It’s a job we take for granted, just assuming our tickers will always function well.

It’s often not until we’re older that we tend to notice issues with blood pressure, cholesterol levels and sometimes, more serious concerns such as irregular heartbeat.

Often, these issues run in families so you’re predisposed to them.  But they can also be caused by lifestyle choices such as smoking, too little exercise or too much fried food.

If you have heart health concerns, it pays to make changes where you can.  You can’t change your family background but you can stop smoking completely, eat more healthily and increase your exercise.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to take up running or even high intensity exercise (although those can be good for the heart).  Research proves walking can be just as beneficial.  A study published in the American Heart Association journal in 2013 found walking and running to be comparable in their benefits for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and possibly heart disease.

The Heart Foundation recommends 30 minutes of physical activity a day and advocates the ‘talk test’.  To stay heart safe, make sure you can talk while you move.  If you are breathless or gasping, slow down a bit.

Even if you struggle to set time aside for exercise, health professionals recommend measures like taking the stairs instead of the lift or getting off the bus one stop earlier so you have to walk a bit further.  Every step counts.

When it comes to food choices, it’s about fresh and healthy.  Avoid too many fried fats.  Cut back on processed junk foods, takeaways, high sugar and salt and trans fats which are often found in packaged, store bought baked goods or fried foods.

The Heart Foundation recommends vegetables and fruits make up the bulk of your diet along with proteins, grains and some dairy foods.  Variety is key and by eating lots of colourful vegetables and fruits, you’ll get a good intake of plant nutrients and antioxidants.

Important nutrients are found in blueberries – rich in antioxidants, tomatoes – rich in lycopene, avocados – rich in good fats and oats – containing betaglucan for healthy cholesterol levels.

Vegetables and fruits are also rich in minerals and these support your heart too.  Magnesium is one of the best known and is good for healthy heart muscle function and for blood vessel health.  High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados and bananas.  Magnesium is also available as a supplement.

Another important food for the heart is fish.  The Heart Foundation recommends oily fish consumption at least twice a week.  A fish oil supplement may be suitable for those who don’t get enough fish in their diet.

Heart Checklist

• Don’t smoke
• Enjoy an active lifestyle
• Eat fresh
• Cut back on processed fats

For more information, click here to visit the Blackmores website or phone our Naturopathic Advisory Line on 0508 75 74 73.