Habits That Are Harmful for Your Heart

Habits That Are Harmful for Your Heart

Everyone wants to have a healthy heart, yet cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects a lot of people around the world. While you probably thought that your daily regime of exercise and strict diet is enough to keep away the risk of developing CVD and other defects, there are studies out there that indicate differently. 

Don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. The good news is, there are a few habits in your daily life that you can cut out to help decrease your risk of getting CVD. 

Stop sitting so much
Whether this is for watching TV, or at your desk at work... Get up and move! Why? Because sitting for hours on end can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you do exercise regularly throughout your week. 

This is because sitting for long periods of time allows the lack of movement to affect your blood levels of fats and sugars. Thus, it's best to get up, walk around periodically, stand up while talking on the phone... Just get up more often than you are doing now.

Don't skip your doctors appointment
Of course, regular check up is essential as you get a heads up on whether you have symptoms of a cardiac disease or carrying an illness which may contribute to it. 

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Put down your fifth glass
We all know this one, drinking too much can cause damage. There's a reason why there's a daily recommended allowance for women and men, because our bodies can only consume a certain level of alcohol before it begins to interrupt our normal heart rhythm.

Drinking to excess can also increase high blood pressure and lead to heart failure. Add diabetes and obesity to that, plus the chances of cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, and there's no wonder we're encouraging you to put down the glass. 

Do you have a tendancy to get angry quickly? Or stressed?
Yep, that's bad too. Actually, if you fly off the handle over day to day issues or stresses, you're actually putting your heart at risk. 

Feeling stressed, hostile or depressed can result in an increase in blood pressure, which disrupts the electrical impulses of the heart and could advance the fat build up in your arteries. So start breathing, come up with a way to de-stress quickly and you'll find you'll be in a better mood, and health, all around!

Smokers, quit the bad habit
Smoke from cigarettes, cigars and pipes are just as bad for your heart and arteries as it is for your lungs. 

You need to get enough sleep
Do you know when your parents told you you need at least 8 hours sleep a night? There's a great reason behind it. In fact, sleep deprivation can lead to high resting cortisol and adrenaline levels, which is what the body experiences when in a stressful condition, and results in the... See above point! 

So adults, make sure you're getting 8 hours of winks! And your kids need at least 10 hours, too. 

SEE ALSO: Why you should go gluten free...

Put down the burger and fries...
This is an obvious one; being overweight is a major risk to your heart. So try to eat less, avoid oversized portions and replace sugary drinks with water. 

We're sorry red meat fans, but
Red meat is actually high in saturated fat, and is a food that should be eaten occasionally rather than as the foundation of a daily diet. If you just can't part with the beef, choose a lean cut of red meat and limit your intake. It's all about a balanced diet! 

Add fruits and vegetables to your diet
Load your diet up with fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, low-fat diary and protein, and keep the junk food to a minimum.

Start flossing ladies!
Yes, dental health and cardiac health are directly related. The bacteria from a gum disease, whether small or large, can flow into your blood vessels in the mouth, directly to your coronary artieries and can narrow them, which of course, affects blood supply to your heart. And remember to brush twice daily too!