The heart may be just as small as the fist, but it is considered to be one of the strongest muscles in the human body. Aside from this, it is also one of the most important organs simply because of the fact that it controls the whole blood circulation. As small as it is, the heart can actually create enough energy to drive a truck for 20 miles, pump 1.5 million barrels of blood during a lifetime, beat 100,000 times a day, and many more. Aside from this, it is only the heart that has a special cluster of self-starting cells. These cells are responsible fro making sure that the heart is able to beat a specific pattern. This makes it even more important for us to make sure that we take good care of the heart to prevent heart diseases.
Regardless of age, the two best ways to prevent a heart disease are being physically active and following a healthy eating habit. To be physically healthy, the human body needs at least 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity like brisk walking or 75 minutes of an intensified aerobic physical activity like running or cycling or a combination of both activities. A muscle-strengthening activity every week is also ideal to have the muscle groups- legs, hips, back, chest, arms, abdomen and shoulders working. This includes activities like push ups, sit ups, and squats. While you’re at it, you also need to make sure that you keep away from a sedentary way of life. This means limiting the amount of hours you spend in front of the TV as well as the computer.
Aside from having an active lifestyle, the food that people eat plays a vital role in the risk of having heart disease or stroke. A healthy diet contains fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds and fruits and vegetables. It is also advisable to avoid meat as much as possible or take meat only twice or thrice a week. As to dairy products, doctors suggest choosing fat-free and low-fat ones. Likewise, choose foods that are low in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, sugar and trans fat. Now, this does not have to mean that you would be eating bland food your whole life. The secret lies in how you prepare your food. For example, you can top your oatmeal with slices of your favorite fruit. You can prepare a tuna spread which you can put on top of crackers; or you can do canapes with some help from your leftover bread. If you have a sweet tooth, you can turn your favorite fruit into a smoothie and have it chilled.
Although heart diseases can affect anyone regardless of age, older adults are still advised to take extra caution. Some of the steps that you can take in order to better prepare yourself for the worst scenario would be to have a AED unit on hand as well as to undergo CPR training. It will be helpful also to learn the warning signs of a heart attack or stroke to know when to consult a doctor or not. Just as the old adage says, prevention is better than cure.
