February is National American Heart month -- celebrate with these five easy heart health hacks to ensure a healthy heart for years to come.
Feb 2022. This article is independently written by Shelby Golding. All opinions given are hers. Shelby has been certified as a personal trainer and nutritional specialist since 2007. In 2008, she found her passion for writing about these topics and hasn't looked back.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. February is American Heart Month – a time for the medical community to spotlight cardiovascular health. We didn’t want to end this month without doing our part to raise awareness to the fact that 1 in 4 deaths in the US are due to heart disease and encourage Americans to focus on lasting heart health.
Part of why heart disease is so common in the United States is Americans' unhealthy relationship with food. About 25% of Americans consume some type of fast food every day. Obesity, diabetes, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcohol use are some common ailments that increase your risk of developing heart disease.
Easy Heart Health Hacks
A healthy heart is the foundation of a long, healthy life. Try out a few of these easy heart health hacks to keep your heart beating strong for many years to come.
1. Replace Processed Foods with Fresh
Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to heart disease. Inflammation is part of our body’s immune response, a natural reaction to germs, viruses, and other foreign substances. Many factors can contribute to chronic inflammation, including an unhealthy diet, autoimmune disorders, and certain lifestyle choices like smoking or drinking excessively.
Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to heart disease. Inflammation is part of our body’s immune response, a natural reaction to germs, viruses, and other foreign substances. Many factors can contribute to chronic inflammation, including an unhealthy diet, autoimmune disorders, and certain lifestyle choices like smoking or drinking excessively.
Replace the processed foods in your diet with anti-inflammatory foods that contain plenty of antioxidants. One of the best anti-inflammatory diets is the Mediterranean diet which contains plenty of olive oil, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seafood, and beans.
2. Watch the Scale
People who are overweight or obese are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. This is because fat encourages inflammation in the body, which can become chronic and lead to metabolic disorders and obesity. To prevent the inflammatory response that leads to unwanted weight gain, you need to make sure to keep an eye on the scale.
Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will tell you that wanting to lose weight and doing it are two very different things. A few crucial steps are eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. These four pillars of health need to be in balance before you can lose weight.
Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will tell you that wanting to lose weight and doing it are two very different things. A few crucial steps are eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, managing stress, and getting enough sleep. These four pillars of health need to be in balance before you can lose weight.
3. Do Something Nice for Yourself
A healthy amount of stress is normal and will even enhance your life by pushing you when you need to be pushed. It begins with a threat that instigates the body’s fight-and-flight response. Then once the threat is over, your heartbeat, blood pressure, and hormone levels return to normal.
Unfortunately, chronic stress is becoming more and more common. People with chronic stress have a response that is on and off for days, weeks, or even months at a time. The resulting release of adrenaline and cortisol wreaks havoc in the body. Chronic stress also puts a constant strain on your heart. As a result, it increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Stress management looks different for everyone, but it begins with self-care. Start by doing something nice for yourself, like buying yourself a heart-healthy lunch or taking a five-minute meditation break in the middle of a stressful day.
Unfortunately, chronic stress is becoming more and more common. People with chronic stress have a response that is on and off for days, weeks, or even months at a time. The resulting release of adrenaline and cortisol wreaks havoc in the body. Chronic stress also puts a constant strain on your heart. As a result, it increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Stress management looks different for everyone, but it begins with self-care. Start by doing something nice for yourself, like buying yourself a heart-healthy lunch or taking a five-minute meditation break in the middle of a stressful day.
4. Work on Your Sex Life
Regular sex is a type of exercise that supports a healthy heart. However, both men and women who have less than one night of sex per month have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Men who have two nights of sex a week are 45% less likely to have a heart attack. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an established risk factor for poor heart health in men. Women do not necessarily need to have sex a certain number of days or times, but those who report having a satisfying sex life have less of a risk of a heart attack.
A healthy sex life is about more than physical activity. Sex boosts serotonin which fights off depression and stress. It also helps you feel more connected to your partner. Screening for sexual activity can prevent cardiac events and is, therefore, a key part of heart health.
5. Get Your Numbers Checked
If you are at risk for heart disease or have a history of heart disease in your family, make sure your doctor checks your cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar at your yearly check-up.
Cholesterol and triglycerides are types of lipids that are moved around by the circulatory system. Cholesterol builds cells, and triglycerides store unused calories. However, in large quantities, they can build up on the artery walls and block blood flow.
When your doctor checks blood pressure, they check the systolic and diastolic levels. The first tells the force your heart is exerting on your arteries with each beat. The second is the force between beats. High blood pressure means that your heart is exerting too much force, and your risk of heart attack or stroke increases dramatically.
Finally, high blood sugar damages arteries over time. As a result, people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease.
An easy heart health hack is to get check-ups once a year. Some heart health problems are asymptomatic, meaning that you probably won't notice anything wrong until it becomes life-threatening. Prevent a surprise heart attack or stroke by getting your numbers checked regularly.
Work on Your Healthy Habits
Heart health is not something that happens overnight. You need to start with the facts and work hard to build healthy habits. These easy heart health hacks are meant to be used consistently, and the benefits build over time. Take care of your heart to keep yourself healthy for a long time to come.
For those who struggle to stay healthy and active due to chronic pain, remember to use your Kailo Pain Patch whenever you could use a pick-me-up! Kailo is designed to relieve pain in seconds and a recent study showed that 99% of patients felt pain relief with Kailo within 10 minutes of using it.
For those who struggle to stay healthy and active due to chronic pain, remember to use your Kailo Pain Patch whenever you could use a pick-me-up! Kailo is designed to relieve pain in seconds and a recent study showed that 99% of patients felt pain relief with Kailo within 10 minutes of using it.
Disclaimer: Kailo should not be used if you have a pacemaker or if you are pregnant. Always consult your doctor or health care professional before using Kailo.
