Although heart disease remains a major cause of deathworldwide, there are ways to decrease its severity. However, this does notmean you should stop taking cholesterol pills. These can be costly to thesystem and other people every year. Someof these tips might seem obvious but others may surprise you. These are ten simple tips to improve your cardiovascularhealth.
1) Follow a Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean Oceancountries have lower rates for heart disease. They consume vegetables, fish, and red wine. These principles aren't just for Europeans.
2) Eat Tomatoes. Lycopene is responsible the tomato's red color. It is an anti-oxidant. Ithas been shown to lower blood pressure and C reactive proteins. This indicates a higher risk of developing heart disease.
3) Laugh. 3) Laugh. Volunteers who laughed at funny videos showed adecrease in blood vessel tension. Thisreduces blood pressure. You can't bestressed if your laughs are infectious so find things that make you smile.
4) Eat fiber. Fiber is good for the bowel. A diet high in fiber can help keep your heart healthy.
Regular exercise is essential. It doesn't matter whetheryou run, swim, walk, or do any other type exercise. Regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing heartdisease, independent of weight loss.
6) Get some sun. Vitamin D is increasingly important for your health. Low levels of vitamin D can increase your risk of developingheart disease. Vitamin D can also beobtained from sunlight. Aim for 10 minutesper day on just a few days each year. Itwill not cause sunburn.
7) Eat chocolate. This is a popular choice. Dark chocolate contains polyphenols that can raise goodcholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Astudy has shown that heart attack victims who eat small amounts of darkchocolate have a greater chance of recovering. 40% cocoa is recommended, while 70% is the best.
8) Manage stress. Psychosocial factors are responsible for 30% of all heartattacks. Stress management is known tolower your risk of suffering a heart attack. Even for people with heart disease, stress management can bevery beneficial.
9) Learn Tai-Chi. Regular Tai-Chi is proven to reduce blood pressure and lowerthe risk of heart disease. Meditation isalso beneficial.
Keep your eyes open and positive. There are no guaranteesin life. We might still get sick, even if we do all the right things. Even if you have a heartattack, having an optimistic outlook can help improve your quality of life andlong-term survival rates. You don't needto be unrealistic or exaggerated. Positiveoutlooks lead to better outcomes.
