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Begin your day with breakfast. A good breakfast fuels your day and should be a combination of complex carbohydrates and protein.
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Healthy pick me ups. Most of us rely on tea and coffee to get through the day. The flipside of downing innumerable cups of any sweetened beverage is that we get a whopping supply of sugar through out the day. Instead, rely on the goodness of fiber rich fruits or munch on nuts.
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Pick whole grains for a wholesome advantage. Research studies say that people who regularly eat whole grains reduce their risk of heart disease and are able to keep their stomach in great shape. Ideally we should have 25-30 grams of fiber daily. Oats are particularly good, since they contain a soluble fiber called beta glucan. Numerous studies say that this ingredient lowers cholesterol and LDL bad cholesterol levels too.
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Eat a light dinner, at least three hours before you go to bed. This is good for digestion and weight management.
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Eat dark chocolate several times a week. According to a recent research from US scientists, chocolate has joined the hallowed trio of goji berries, spriulina and acai berries on the list of super foods that could prolong your life. Polyphneols, the least researched antioxidants are the best ones and dark chocolates have them in abundance.
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Drink a cup of green tea in the evening to unwind. Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
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Swap fish for red meat. Choose grilled, sautéed, baked or roasted fish instead of red meat. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women who ate fish at least once a week were one-third less likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease than those who ate fish only once a month.
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Know about oils. Oils stored at room temperature are saturated fats, like ghee, palm and coconut oil. Use them sparingly. Leading the pack of oils is monosaturated oils found in olive and canola oils. Never reuse left over oil from frying, as it can be carcinogenic.
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Say no to trans fat. The body is unable to break down trans fat, causing it to accumulate in the body. Trans fats increase shelf life and texture of foods, and are found in most processed foods such as—cake mixes, instant soups, french fries, fried chicken, biscuits, doughnuts, breakfast cereal and energy bars, cookies and candies. Before you buy a packaged food read the label. If it says partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, or vegetable shortening, it means it has trans fat and you should avoid it.
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Exercise. Exercising five times a week substantially reduces your chances of developing metabolic diseases, like diabetes and heart problems. “While exercising it is important to push beyond your comfort zone for your heart beat rate to go up”, says Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Hansa Gupta. Swap steps for elevators. Being houseproud is good for your body weight and your heart too. Nurture your green thumb. This will not only destress you but also help you burn calories.
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Floss daily. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing once or more per day.
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Drink to this. Drink seven to eight glasses of water everyday. Substitute soda with nourishing, vitamin laden fruit juices—like orange or watermelon.
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Stress hurts; hit it hard before it hurts you! Train yourself to deep breathe under stressful situations. Massage your temples to relieve stress. You can also try gently holding a pencil between your teeth without biting. This action prompts you to relax your facial muscles, which helps relieve tension.
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Sleep well. Sleep is the casualty we pay for multitasking and chasing our numerous priorities. Sleep helps our brain to regenerate. Adults who sleep seven to eight hours every night live longer and are less likely to suffer from heart problems than those who sleep less.
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Build bonds. Build relationships with lifelong friends to whom you can talk to.
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Quit smoking or chewing of tobacco. Quitting is as easy as taking a walk. Short bout of exercises will help smokers resist the urge to smoke.
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Be romantic. Take a long walk with your loved one, which, of course, is good for your heart. Pay it forward and show your friends and family how much you care, you’ll feel better for it.
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Substitute salt with lemon juice. Drizzle salads with heart healthy olive oil and lemon juice.
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Keep your weight in check. Participate in aerobics to reduce the fat around your middle, which is dangerous for your health.
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Take a good multivitamin. Latest research studies say anyone can benefit from a good multivitamin because they provide nutritional defense against deficiencies.
