To stay healthy it is important to consistently take good care of one-self and relaxed fall atmosphere is a perfect time for that. Today we will talk about ways to keep your heart strong and healthy.
There are three key components to keeping the heart healthy
– moderate physical activity
– stress management
– healthy foods and supplements
1. Moderate physical activity Sedentary lifestyle is damaging to many parts of our body, but it is especially damaging to the heart and cardiovascular system. In one of the studies researchers utilized data from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS), which followed more than 93,600 women ages 50 to 79 years old for about eight years. Based on periodic surveys and clinic visits completed by study participants, researchers found that women sitting 10 hours a day or more had significantly greater risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke compared to women sitting 5 hours a day or less, regardless of how much they exercised. However, cardiovascular risk was greatest among women who reported sitting 10 or more hours a day and got little to no physical activity. Researchers also found that prolonged sitting negatively impacted heart health the most among women who were overweight or greater than 70 years old. You probably knew that sitting for a long time is not good for you and now it has been confirmed by data. If you have to sit for long periods of time, make sure to take a break every 1-2 hours and go for a stroll. Any moderate physical activity that you enjoy will benefit your heart. Thus, heart healthy rule #1 – keep moving.
2. Stress management Can stress hurt your heart? The evidence is piling up that the answer is—yes, stress is damaging for your heart. “There are studies to show that stress is comparable to other risk factors that we traditionally think of as major, like hypertension, poor diet, and lack of exercise,” says Kathi Heffner, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Rochester Center for Mind-Body Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. Great ways to fight stress include meditation, yoga, laughter, music, massage, Reiki and being in nature. Heart healthy rule #2 – take care of the stress.
3. Healthy foods and supplements The easiest way to help your heart is through foods and supplements, since it requires the least time commitment. You all know that fruits and vegetables are good for you. Here I will concentrate on a few specific food items that will make the most difference. When cooking switch to olive oil for all or most of your cooking needs (you might find the taste too strong in the beginning, but after a few weeks most people don’t notice it much). Incorporate flax seeds and flax seed oil into salad dressings and other meals. Eat wild caught fish at least two times a week, Alaskan fish is the best. Drink hawthorn tea regularly. Use the following three supplements: fish oil, CoQ10 and hawthorn berries. These three supplements are beneficial for anybody after the age of 40 and should be taken regularly. If you already experience any heart issues, you should feel noticeable improvement within a week of starting to take these supplements. You might also consider adding a magnesium supplement.
Our multivitamins complex Balanced Trio includes all three of these supplements plus all the essential vitamins and minerals. In addition the Evening formula includes relaxing, stress-fighting herbs and magnesium in the easily absorbed form. Visit http://www.vital-formulas.com/balanced-trio/ for more details.
Natalia Lukina
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