A healthy heart is the key to a healthy life. Today, most of the people are down with heart disease and our current lifestyle has a lot to do with this increasing number of heart patients.
People are busy these days as they don’t even get time to take proper care of their bodies. Unhealthy food habits with no workouts and exercise contribute effectively to aid this issue.
Through this article, we will look into factors that affect heart health in general along with focusing more on the food habits that need a change.
Correlation Between Heart Rate And Heart Health
A standard heart rate is considered as having 60 to 100 heartbeats in a minute. Blood pressure plays an important role in providing a healthy heart.
Normal blood pressure is an indication that your heart is in a healthy state. Having normal breathing can also be a signal that you have a healthy heart.
Most of the time, our body gives certain signals by which we can identify that our heart is not functioning properly.
Chest pain is most common among them and is the result of improper blood flow to your heart.
Fatigue, numbness, pain, coldness, or weakness in your arms and legs can also at times be an indication of an unhealthy heart.
People with heart issues often tend to have shortness of breath which is also a common symptom to it.
How Do Eating Habits Affect The Heart Health?
Our current eating habits have a lot to do with contributing to heart-related issues. Since people are so engaged in certain activities and things, their eating habits are almost shrunk to a packet of processed food.
This has the potential to severely affect our bodies. Heart disease can completely affect the quality of our life. A little care taken while having and preparing your food can bring about a drastic change.
Some of the foods that we have daily can harm our hearts and we might be unaware of it. You can easily modify your existing diet plan by replacing some of the unhealthy foods with healthy ones.
In the coming section, I will be mentioning some of the healthy eating habits that can save your heart. Also, foods to avoid and include in your diet plan will be mentioned.
Healthy Foods To Consume For A Healthy Heart
- Omega-3 fatty acid-rich food.
Fatty fishes like salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Nuts and seeds like walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acid has the property of reducing triglycerides, cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure.
- Leafy green vegetables.
The minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants found in leafy green vegetables are numerous. Collard greens, spinach, and kale are great for improving heart health.
These vegetables are capable of protecting your arteries and helping in blood clotting. Green leafy vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease.
- Whole grains.
Barley, oats, brown rice, whole wheat, and quinoa are all common types of whole grains. Incorporating whole grains can reduce the chance of developing heart disease and hypertension.
- Berries.
Berries are rich in antioxidants that help in reducing inflammation and stress. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are rich in nutrients that play a significant role in promoting heart health.
Some other common sources of heart health-promoting foods include avocados, beans, dark chocolate, tomatoes, eggs, and so on.
Foods To Avoid For A Healthy Heart
Food items containing red meat are a major threat to developing heart disease. Sugary drinks, full-fat dairy products, french fries, baked cookies, and pastries are all food items that need to be avoided to have a healthy heart. Processed food items and oily foods are also contributing to heart issues.
Conclusion
In this article, we have had a basic understanding of what heart health is and what are some of the common symptoms that show your heart is unhealthy.
Separate sections that mention the healthy foods to include in your diet and the ones to avoid from your diet plan are also mentioned.
In general, the article aims to promote the importance of having a healthy diet by which heart health improves and thus your overall health improves.
