How Can Your Lifestyle Affect Your Heart Health?

Every second of the day, your heart does the work for you. Whether you sleep, read, or run. Your heart is working for you. But unfortunately, most of us take it for granted. The heart is one of the essential organs in our body, as it pumps blood throughout the body. It is necessary for our survival.

Heart disease is when there is a blockage in one (or more) of the paths to the heart. It may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or abnormal heart rhythm.

Many of these situations occur due to the accumulation of fat, cholesterol, Calcium, and other substance in the arteries. This accumulation creates a blockage in the arteries leading to difficulty for blood entering the heart. And eventually, it can lead to heart attack or heart failure.

There are some heart disease risk factors that you may not control, for example, a family history of heart disease. But other risk factors can be controlled and reduced to a greater extent with some healthy changes in your lifestyle. By avoiding these habits, you can bring a lot of goodness to your health.

Here are the five practices that affect your heart health and why.

1. Smoking Tobacco

Smoking is one of the three most common risk factors for heart disease, followed by high blood pressure and high cholesterol. As per the studies, each time you inhale a cigarette, you’re inhaling 5,000 chemicals in your body that are highly toxic to your body. Out of these poisonous chemicals, you’re also taking inside carbon monoxide that decreases the oxygen levels in your body. It is highly needed to quit smoking permanently. Some people smoke e-cigarette as a means to quit smoking. But, there is no evidence that e-cigarette can help or is healthy. There are several harmful chemicals and metals present in an e-cigarette that can be dangerous to your health.
The most effective way to quit smoking is to do without using any substitution of it. While it can be challenging to quit smoking, it is easier to live without tobacco than the heart. 

2. Dining out – Every night

It can be exciting to go out for dinner or a party daily, but your heart does not appreciate this habit of yours. Good nutrition goes a long way with you keeping you and your heart healthy and active. It further lowers the associated health risk factors.

Good nutrition does not say that you can’t go out for dinner any day; instead, it means the following:

• While dining out, pick healthier options rather than spicier or oilier ones.
• Say NO to freebies like cocktails before dinner. Or any carbonated drinks with your meal.
• Try to swap your patties with salad, desserts with fruits.
• Do not eat excessive amounts of your meal. Try to leave some space of stomach empty.
• Try to avoid the toppings on the food like cheese, sauces, etc.

It’s okay to enjoy dinner out once in a while, but if you keep on with this regularly, you may be disturbing your heart’s activity.

3. Not Staying Active

There are many reasons behind not keeping physically active. It can be not enough time or can be either unwillingness. Practically, it can be challenging to stick regularly for physical activity.
However, exercising daily is the key to keeping your heart healthy. It just needs your 20 minutes a day! Weekly it becomes 150 minutes only to lower your cholesterol, maintain your blood pressure, and healthy weight. It can further build your heart muscle strong to pump blood more effectively.
It’s alright if you are not able to do rigorous exercise daily. You can do the following:

• Walking short distances rather than driving.
• Taking the stairs instead of the lift.
• Going for a long walk with your friend, partner, or pet.
• Joining the fitness classes.

So, there can be plenty of good ways to stay active. Pick the one which suits you best.

4. Getting Stressed Too Much

Whether you are overloaded with work or juggling with your kids, stress has become common for everyone. However, too much stress can make your heart weak. Stress results in high blood pressure, which further gives pressure to your heart arteries. Some good ways to minimize your stress levels are :

• Listening to music.
• Have some ‘me’ time
• Exercising.
• Indulging in hobbies.
• Stress is unavoidable, but it can be controlled and minimized to have a happy and healthy life.

5. Drinking too many carbonated drinks

Carbonated drinks are artificially prepared and have no nutritional value. It only adds bad cholesterol to your body. Therefore, drinking too many carbonated beverages is not a healthy choice for the heart. Thus, reduce its consumption level to as minimum you can. You can swap the drinking of carbonated drinks with any fruit juice. Fruit juices are healthy and safe for your heart.

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