Diet and Lifestyle Advice
WHAT IS A HEALTHY DIET?
Prevention is better than cure and a healthy diet can not only reduce your chances of developing heart disease, but also protect your heart from further problems if you've already been diagnosed. It's never too late to start eating healthily, and a good diet can also protect against some cancers and diabets.
Eating healthily can help you keep your wieght, cholesterol and blood pressure under control and prevent blood clots and fatty deposits building up in your arteries. Make sure you include plenty of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods, like wholegrain bread, pasta and rice, and reduce the amount of saturated fat, salt and sugar that you include in your diet.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE
Eating at least five portions of fruit and veg a day. There is good evidence that they help lower the risk of coronary heart disease. They can be fresh, frozen, dried or tinned and cooked or raw.
FATS
Eating too much fat, especially saturated fat, can have a bad effect on your cholesterol, which can increase your risk of coronary heart disease. Help your heart stay healthy by cutting back on the total amount of fat you eat and replace saturated fats with monounsaturated and polysunsaturated fats.
OILY FISH
Eat at least two portions of fish a week, and make one portion an oily fish, such as mackerel, trout or salmon, making this small change to your diet could improve your chances of survival after a heart attack.
SALT
Reducing salt will help you maintain a lower blood pressure, which in turn may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, time to bin the salt grinder and use herbs to season your food instead.
ALCOHOL
Too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure and may make you pile on the pounds and can also damage your heart muscle.
GET ACTIVE FOR YOUR HEART
Your heart is a muscle and needs exercise to help it keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently around your body. Physical activity improves your physical and mental health, helping you to look and feel great.
Before you start becoming more physically active, it's important to seek advice from your GP, especially if you have a condition that you are taking prescribed medication for.
WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITY IS GOOD FOR MY HEART?
Being physically active doesn't have to mean long gym sessions or strenuous work-out regimes. You could go swimming, take exercise classes or play a sport, but physical activity also includes everyday things like walking, gardening and climbing stairs.
You can reap the benefits of being more active from all sorts of physical activity - any increase will be good your health.
HOW TO GET STARTED?
Set yourself a goal to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on five or more days a week. Moderate physical activity that makes you breathe more heavily than normal and makes you warmer.
If 30 minutes is too much for you at the moment, build up slowly by: starting with ten minutes activity at least three times a day and start slowly at a level that suits you
gradually building up the time and frequency until 30 minutes feels easier choosing a variety of activities that you enjoy
trying to do something every day.
Remember, it's best to stop exercising if you feel any pain or discomfort.
IT'S NEVER TO LATE TO START
Everyone can benefit from getting physical, whatever your age, size or physical condition. Just remember that you are never too old or too unfit to start doing something.
The good news is that inactive people that start to do moderate physical activity feel the biggest health benefits. Your health risks will decrease as soon as you start to do more!
