The 16-year long study showed that those who skipped their morning meal had a 27% increase in heart attacks and other coronary heart disease risks. Those individuals also tended to have other unhealthy habits, such as smoking and drinking more and being less physically active.
If you aren’t careful about the way you treat your body, heart attacks can be a scary reality. Taking just a few simple precautions that won’t seriously impact your daily routine can make a large difference in your health in the long run.
Below are five tips to help you stay healthy and prevent heart attacks.
5 Tips to Prevent Heart Attacks
Don’t skip breakfast. Having a healthy meal right when you wake up helps you stay on track for a day of healthy eating. You’ll be less likely to eat junk food or overeat later in the day if you start your morning right.
Catch some Zzzs. Getting enough sleep is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. When you sleep, your heart rate lowers and gives the heart muscles a break from the strains of the day. Make sure you get a good night sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on tip #3!
Keep on movin`! Physical activity keeps your heart strong and your body in shape. Even if you’re extremely busy or can’t do high-intensity workouts, just walking for 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Take a stroll with your dog or a friend and see how much better you feel!
Mind your Ps (and other veggies). A good diet is key to keeping your heart healthy. You want to feed your body with food that will fuel it, not slow it down. Opt for fruits and vegetables instead of fatty and oily foods that can clog your arteries. Over time, a poor diet can cause a dangerous buildup in your arteries, which is exactly what leads to heart attack.
Don`t be weighed down. It is certainly easier said than done, but maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the surest ways to prevent a heart attack. The more you weigh, the more strain your heart must go through to pump blood throughout your body and to keep it moving.
Your healthy weight should come naturally so long as your eat well and exercise regularly. All of these tips connect with one another, and the bottom line is that you will be less likely to have heart problems if your treat yourself well and make smart dietary decisions.
BDST: 1522 HRS, Aug-29, 2013
SIS/Jck
