Coronary heart disease is the UK's number one killer and The British Heart Foundation for over 50 years has through their pioneering research helped transform the lives of those people and family members affected by coronary heart disease.
Their work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are helping with the fight against heart disease.
The heart is a muscle and it needs oxygen in order to work properly. If the tubes that supply the heart with oxygen are partially blocked than the heart has to work harder to push the blood through and this can cause pain in the chest area, which is called 'angina.' If there is a full blockage than that part of the heart that isn't getting any oxygen will start to die and this is known as a heart attack.
The British Heart Foundation have set up a 10 minute a day challenge in order to make changes for the better, to help reduce the risk of getting heart disease.
Take 10 minutes out a day for a week to track how many portions of fruit and vegetables you consume, how much food you ate that contained too much salt and saturated fat. To start to make small changes towards a healthier heart.
Here are 5 health tips on helping to keep your heart healthy and reducing the risk of getting coronary heart disease.
1.) Cut back on saturated fat:- this is the fat that comes from animal and diary products and is solid at room temperature. Eating too much of this fat can increase the levels of cholesterol in your blood and increasing the risk of your arteries clogging up.
Reduce the amount of cheese, butter, lard, fatty red meats, sausages, pies and cakes. Replace with chicken, leaner red meat and fish. Avoid or reduce the amount of oil you use during cooking.
2.) Eat your 5 a day:- If you consume 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day you will not only get vital vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function and stay healthy but will help maintain a healthy weight, as these foods tend to be high in water and fibre and low in calories. Therefore you will feel fuller for longer and are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods during the day and help maintain your energy levels.
Portions for example are 1 piece of fruit such as an apple, orange, banana or pear. Smaller fruits will be 2 plums or 2 tangerines or 2 kiwi fruit. 3 heaped tablespoons of carrots or peas, 4 broccoli florets, 1 bowl of salad, 1 handful of grapes, 7-8 strawberries or 3 whole dried apricots.
3.) Eat less salt:- reducing your salt in your diet can help reduce your blood pressure and in turn puts less stress on the arteries and therefore reduces the risk of them getting clogged up. Reduce the amount of take away foods you're consuming as they tend to be high in salt, saturated fats and sugar. Avoid adding salt when cooking and when you're eating.
4.) Maintain a healthy weight:- maintaining a healthy weight which is a BMI (Body Mass Index) of between 18.5-24 and to have a waist less than 80cm (32 inches) for women and 94cm (37 inches) for men. In doing this the heart doesn't have to work so hard and therefore puts it under less strain. Therefore it will help reduce the risk of getting heart disease and other medical conditions such as diabetes type 2, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.
5.) Be more active:- Get the heart pumping in order to strengthen it. A strong heart is a healthy one. In order to get the health benefits of being more active you need to do it for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week. However this can be broken down into 10 minute slots. Try getting off the bus or train a couple of stops earlier and walk, cycle to work or ditch the car and walk instead. Go for a swim or visit the gym.
If you want to down load a food diary or learn more regarding the 10 minutes to change your life challenge please go to www.bhf.org.uk/ten
For any more information on eating healthier, Herbalife nutritional products or Personal/small group training please get in touch or go to my website at www.titanfreestyle.com
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