Looking for ways to improve your heart health? The following are some of the best lifestyle changes to make for a healthier heart.
Lifestyle factors play a big role in increasing the likelihood of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more. Fortunately, studies show that adopting a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk by nearly 50%. The following are healthy lifestyle changes to make for a healthier heart.
Lowering Your Risk for Heart Disease
To make it easy to remember which lifestyle changes you need to make, consider the acronym ABCDES. It stands for Alcohol, Blood pressure, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Exercise, and Smoking.
- Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol may increase your risk for heart disease, liver disease, and death. According to studies, the damage occurs if you drink more than 100 grams of alcohol per week (about 7 standard drinks).
- Blood pressure: By following a healthy diet plan like the DASH diet, you can lower your blood pressure. The plan emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and lean meats.
- Cholesterol: Some factors that can affect your cholesterol include genetics, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, and excessive alcohol intake. However, by reducing your saturated fat intake and replacing it with polyunsaturated fat, you may lower your cardiovascular risk.
- Diabetes: If you have prediabetes, you can lower the risk of full-onset diabetes by losing at least 7% of your body weight and exercising 150 minutes per week. Also, experts recommend that you follow plant-based diets that focus on fiber and omega-3 fatty acids while limiting your glycemic load and saturated fat intake.
- Exercise: Most adults should make it a goal to do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity workouts). For example, you can walk briskly, run, swim, bike, or do another heart-pumping activity.
- Smoking: If you smoke, your risk of heart disease is higher than non-smokers and you’re about three times as likely to die. If you’re looking for help quitting, consider medications like varenicline (Chantix), bupropion (Wellbutrin), and nicotine replacement therapies.
The Outlook
By making the necessary changes to your habits, you’ll improve your heart health and lower your risk of complications. Follow the ABCDES acronym to remember which areas of your life you need to work on to enhance your health.
In addition, you can give your heart an extra boost by taking supplements like L-arginine Plus. Its ingredients are effective at promoting circulation, blood pressure health, cholesterol health, and more. If you’re ready to support your heart health, then make the necessary lifestyle changes and take L-arginine Plus.