The heart doesn’t get the respect it deserves. We don’t think about it unless we fall in love and write I <heart> you notes or eat little heart-shaped candies with sappy messages on them for Valentine’s Day. Or maybe we decide to show our heart a little love when we find out that someone close to our age had a heart attack or stroke. It’s time to take a moment to thank our heart for keeping us alive and to learn some tips for heart wellness. Here are some of the most common heart health mistakes that you should change today:</heart>
If you’re like me (or the average person who works in an office), you’re probably sitting at a desk for about 8 hours and then you sit in commute traffic for another hour or two. By the time I get home, ask my kids about their time at school and make dinner, I’m pretty much exhausted. Who wants to climb on a treadmill at the end of a busy day? Not me.
But like filing your taxes, you may dread the thought of doing it but feel so much better when it’s done. Exercise has many benefits including boosting brain power, decreasing stress levels, giving you more energy and of course, keeping your heart healthy. The U.S. government recommends 60 minutes per day, but 30 minutes can make a huge difference in how you feel and look. Take a walk at lunch time, chase those kids around the backyard after school and heck, vacuuming the house even counts!
Most of us have had doctor’s physicals where we’ve to get blood tests to find out our cholesterol levels. Traditionally, I’ve had high bad cholesterol levels but never really knew (or cared) what they meant. I’m just now realizing how important these numbers are.
First of all, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the unhealthy kind of cholesterol. This can build up in your arteries and form fatty deposits called plaque which will inhibit normal blood flow. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” kind of cholesterol. It takes the extra cholesterol out of your arteries and transfers it to your liver which then filters it out of your body.
Bad LDL numbers can cause a variety of problems: your arteries could get clogged making your heart have to work harder to pump the blood through your body. It can lead to strokes which causes damage to the brain leaving you with limited speech capabilities, constricted movement or a hindered memory. Excess cholesterol in your gut can even create gallstones which are extremely painful.
What is the worst four letter word in my vocabulary? DIET. Okay, that’s not the worst word I know, but it’s the one that taunts me in my waking hours. Having excess body weight can harm your heart because when your heart has to work harder to pump blood through your body, the extra workload causes the inside chamber of the heart to grow since the muscles get thicker. The longer this goes on, the heart has a harder time relaxing and won’t be able to pump blood throughout the body efficiently. Additionally, this poor circulation impacts the rest of your body because your tissues won’t get the oxygen rich blood that it needs to function properly. It’s easier to lose weight now than to deal with the harmful repercussions later on.
