With February being American Heart Month, it's a great time to take a second look at your dietary behaviors and other health factors that contribute to your cardiovascular system's performance.
Here are some smart habits you should consider developing in the near future.
Fix your diet
Food plays among the greatest roles in heart health. The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical treatment, research and education organization, urges individuals to be exceedingly conscious of their portions. Sticking with one serving per commonly recognized standards ─ such as keeping meat portions between 2 and 3 ounces ─ can have immediate and wide-reaching benefits to the cardiovascular system, the researchers affirm.
The organization notes that certain grain products are heart-healthy (such as whole-wheat flour and brown rice) but others (such as refined flour, cakes and buttered popcorn) are not.
What about fat?
Fatty foods were commonly considered to be a major contributor to heart disease and other issues with the organ. This is no longer the case. TIME Magazine, a national news publication, reported in 2016 that butter and other products with saturated fats do not have a tangible impact on the prevalence of heart disease or type-2 diabetes, citing data from a landmark study of 600,000 subjects.
This is not to say that saturated fat is heart-healthy, but that your diet can include these foods in moderation and remain on track, according to the researchers.
Get out of the house more!
The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, explains that a sedentary lifestyle ─ or one that lacks physical activity in an extreme sense ─ is believed to have among the highest impacts on heart health. According to the organization, sedentary individuals are at the greatest risk of experiencing a heart attack.
Unfortunately, tens of millions of Americans have desk jobs, making it more difficult to be active throughout the day. But habits such as using a standing desk and taking routine walks around the block can go a long way toward reducing the risks of an inactive lifestyle.
Aerobic exercises
Reader's Digest suggests focusing efforts on aerobic exercises, with activities like circuit training, swimming and biking leading the way toward a healthier heart. Incidentally, the best exercises for aerobic purposes tend to be low-impact, low-stress and stamina building.
Make sure you celebrate American Heart Month the right way by developing some healthy habits for life this February!
Here are some smart habits you should consider developing in the near future.
Fix your diet
Food plays among the greatest roles in heart health. The Mayo Clinic, a nonprofit medical treatment, research and education organization, urges individuals to be exceedingly conscious of their portions. Sticking with one serving per commonly recognized standards ─ such as keeping meat portions between 2 and 3 ounces ─ can have immediate and wide-reaching benefits to the cardiovascular system, the researchers affirm.
The organization notes that certain grain products are heart-healthy (such as whole-wheat flour and brown rice) but others (such as refined flour, cakes and buttered popcorn) are not.
What about fat?
Fatty foods were commonly considered to be a major contributor to heart disease and other issues with the organ. This is no longer the case. TIME Magazine, a national news publication, reported in 2016 that butter and other products with saturated fats do not have a tangible impact on the prevalence of heart disease or type-2 diabetes, citing data from a landmark study of 600,000 subjects.
This is not to say that saturated fat is heart-healthy, but that your diet can include these foods in moderation and remain on track, according to the researchers.
Get out of the house more!
The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability, explains that a sedentary lifestyle ─ or one that lacks physical activity in an extreme sense ─ is believed to have among the highest impacts on heart health. According to the organization, sedentary individuals are at the greatest risk of experiencing a heart attack.
Unfortunately, tens of millions of Americans have desk jobs, making it more difficult to be active throughout the day. But habits such as using a standing desk and taking routine walks around the block can go a long way toward reducing the risks of an inactive lifestyle.
Aerobic exercises
Reader's Digest suggests focusing efforts on aerobic exercises, with activities like circuit training, swimming and biking leading the way toward a healthier heart. Incidentally, the best exercises for aerobic purposes tend to be low-impact, low-stress and stamina building.
Make sure you celebrate American Heart Month the right way by developing some healthy habits for life this February!
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