What is Coronary Heart Disease?
The coronary arteries supply your heart with oxygen-rich blood; this is where heart disease starts. When ignored the arteries become blocked with fatty deposits, making the artery narrower. This makes it even more difficult to deliver the oxygen-rich blood to your heart. The lack of blood causes angina - discomfort and pain in the chest are symptoms of this. Ignoring angina allows blood clots to form; when a piece of fatty deposit in your artery breaks off. If the clot blocks the coronary artery, the heart is then starved and this will lead to a heart attack.
You are susceptible to Coronary Heart Disease if:
- You are overweight/obese
- Eat too much salt
- Don’t perform enough exercise
- Lack of fruit and vegetables in your diet
- If you smoke
- Drink too much alcohol
- If your caffeine consumption is high
- A blood relative that has high blood pressure
- African or Caribbean descent
- If you are 65 or older
Ways you can prevent heart disease
It’s all very simple really, just take one or all of these steps:Eat a balanced diet
We’ve all heard that we need a healthy balanced diet and it’s true! Your diet should be low in saturated/trans fats and high in fruit and veg. Five hand sized portions of fruit and veg per day is enough. Try choosing those that are vibrant in red colours as these reduce the risk of heart disease. Fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, beans and seeds are high in the protein, vitamins and minerals that are important for your body to function properly.Try to do 30 minutes of exercise a day
It’s all good and well having a balanced diet, but if you are adopting the life of a couch potato you won't see many benefits! Staying active is incredibly important and 150 minutes of cardio activity a week is the recommendation. That's just half an hour of walking, 5 days a week! Being in the outdoors in the fresh air can really benefit your stress levels and well being, not just your heart. Exercising regularly helps you sleep better and focus more in your daily life.
Pay attention to your weight
We know that some people can find it difficult dealing with their weight. A healthy weight can really help cut back your risk of heart disease by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol. Not only is maintaining a healthy weight great for your heart; if you lose just 10% of your body weight, you will automatically improve your pelvic floor muscles by up to 50%!Monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol
If you've been told that you have high blood pressure, or suspect that you might have it, then it's important to check it regularly. This is easy to do with a blood pressure monitor like the Beurer BM40 Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor. It's a good idea for all of us to find out our levels of cholesterol - this is easy to do at home with a test like the CholesterinCHECK Cholesterol Test.Comment below with your own health tips!
Read More...
How to stick with your January Fitness Goals
Christmas Can Increase Your Risk of Diabetes: How to Check Your Blood Sugar
Do you know your numbers? Blood Pressure Awareness 2 February 2015
223 view(s) 
