The Healthy Heart Tips
Read these 7 The Healthy Heart Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Nutrition tips and hundreds of other topics.
Cholesterol
The best type of fat to consume to help lower your cholesterol are monounsaturated fats. They help to lower your total cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol which is your good cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats are are found in:
Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocados, peanut butter, almonds, peanuts, and cashews.
Risks Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Risk factors for Cardiovascular Disease are:
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
- low HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol
- elevated triglycerides
- diabetes
- being overweight
- not being physically active
Sodium in Foods
Diets high in sodium tend to increase blood pressure in individuals prone to hypertension and increase fluid retention in others.
Lower Cholesterol
Eat a low-fat diet. Citrus fruits and juices, vegetables, lean meats such as chicken and fish, low fat dairy products. Eat a lot of fiber. Eating more whole grains, raw fruits and vegetables, and dried beans may lower your levels of cholesterol by 6 to 19 percent.
Unfriendly Heart Foods
Excess fatty food, such as red meat and dairy products, lead to heart disease and clogged arteries.
High salt intake raises blood pressure and so increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Heavy alcohol consumption leads to weight problems and increased risk of heart disease.
Heart Smart
The American Heart Association states that Heart Disease is the number one killer of American Women between the ages of 56 and 76. Although women with diabetes, hypertension, severe obesity, and smoking have greater chances of developing heart disease, any female can fall victim to this dreaded, debilitating disease. Why do women get heart disease? Well, the risk factors are the same as they are for men, which would be:
Increasing age
Heredity
Smoking
High Cholesterol Levels
Diabetes
Hypertension
Physical Inactivity
Obesity
Women have one that men don't however, and that is loss of estrogen. Inadequate levels of estrogen in menopausal or pre-menopausal women can lead to heart disease.
If you feel you are at risk for any of these factors speak with your health care professional as soon as possible.
Friendly Heart Foods
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, tuna and herring, help prevent blood clots forming, so reducing the risk of heart disease. You get more benefit from eating the fish itself than from taking fish oil supplements.
Soluable fiber, found in oat bran and most legumes, vegetables and fruit, reduces the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Kristle Jones |
