5 Heart Healthy Tips for Your Family

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Your heart is one of the most important organs you have. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to the rest of your body by pumping blood through the circulatory system. No matter how young or old you are, it’s essential to help your heart stay strong to avoid problems now and in the future. Here are five ways to keep your family’s hearts pumping strong.

1.   Eat Well

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet is one of the best things you can do to help prevent heart disease and many other conditions. Our bodies need proper nutrition to complete all their day-to-day processes you don’t even think about, such as respiration, digestion and muscle repair. Several models of proper eating have been released throughout the past few decades, and it can be confusing to know what is best for your family. Here are some good rules of thumb to follow:

• Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies contain vitamins, minerals and fiber with the bonus of having a proper caloric intake. They can help you fill up with nutrients and prevent overdoing it on the heavier carbs also needed.
• Make a rainbow. Creating a colorful plate is a great game for kids and a good reminder for grown-ups. Increasing the number of colorful foods you eat boosts the likelihood of getting various nutrients.
• Eat fatty fish twice a week. Studies have shown that eating fatty fish can reduce the risk of heart disease, arthritis and cancer thanks to its omega-3 fatty acid content. Qualifying fish include tuna, trout, sardines and salmon. The recommendation is to eat it twice a week to receive the benefits while avoiding the risk of it making your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels too high.
• Choose whole grains. Refined bread eliminates the disease-preventing power of eating a whole grain. Eating whole grains can lower insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. The fiber in whole grains also gives a bonus boost to your digestive system.

2.   Get Moving

Another way for your family to keep healthy hearts is by exercising. Exercise helps strengthen your muscles, including your heart, and can regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Instead of sitting in front of the television after dinner, try going outside or to a gym. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout for your heart to receive the benefits. Simply walking can help. Other activities for the whole family include:

• Swimming
• Biking
• Playing sports
• Yoga
• Dancing

Regular exercise can help you develop healthy habits and increase your kids’ chance of becoming active adults.

3.   Stay Away From Smoke

Smoking is a terrible addiction that can cause heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many lung conditions. As if that wasn’t awful enough, nonsmokers can fall victim to these conditions just by breathing secondhand smoke. If you are a smoker, there are free resources to help you get started on the road to quitting. Your heart attack risk will decrease just 24 hours after kicking the habit. If you don’t smoke, you and your family can avoid secondhand smoke exposure by eating and staying in smoke-free areas as much as possible.

4.   Destress

Another heart disease risk is stress. Everyone experiences it, but too much can raise your blood pressure, increasing your risk for heart disease. Stress can also indirectly increase your risk for heart disease by contributing to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as inactivity, overeating and smoking.

Ways to reduce stress include:

• Exercise
• Meditation
• Reducing caffeine intake
• Spending quality time with family and friends

Speaking with a health professional may be beneficial if you are under extreme stress.

5.   Get Enough Sleep

Adults should be getting between seven and eight hours of sleep at night, and young kids need 12-14 hours of nighttime sleep and naps. This can help the body recover and repair itself from the previous day, decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, strengthening your immune system and aiding your mental health. We live in a world that values productivity over rest, with adults averaging under seven hours of sleep per night. This chronic sleep deprivation can have the opposite effect of the abovementioned benefits, increasing your risk of heart disease. Along with those risks, kids with inadequate sleep can experience hyperactivity, trouble with school and behavior problems, so the whole family should get a good night’s rest.

Heart Disease Impacts

Heart disease can lead to a world of problems for those struggling with it. We only have one heart, so we must take care of it. A heart attack or stroke can cause permanent illness or disability and decrease your quality of life. A patient waiting on a heart transplant could be on hold for years or die before they can receive one. That’s why we must control what we can to keep our hearts healthy and strong.

You Can Help Prevent Heart Disease

It’s important to remember that some heart diseases are inherited, but just because someone has it doesn’t mean they are unhealthy. The good news is that heart health issues caused by external factors, such as a poor diet, excessive stress and lack of exercise, can be prevented by taking simple measures to stay healthy.