healthy heart

When it comes to the health of your heart, what you do and what you don't do can truly make a difference. That's because lifestyle choices -- like smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise -- can be far more dangerous than hereditary factors.
Here's a step-by-step plan that will help you make smart choices and help get your ticker in top form.

Action 1: Pump Your Heart
For optimal health, you'll need to do enough physical activity to burn between 3,500 and 6,500 calories a week (or roughly 500 to 950 a day). Most of that calorie loss comes from everyday tasks, but science shows that you'll also need about 60 minutes a week of stamina training -- cardiovascular exercise that gets your heart rate up and makes you breathe harder. Here's what to do:
• Do at least three 20-minute cardio workouts a week. A few brisk walks will do it.
• Add strength training.

Action 2: Know Your Numbers
We're talking the big three -- cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar -- plus, two more you should probably know: homocysteine** and C-reactive protein ***. Consider these numbers a stock ticker for your ticker. They tell you how you're doing, and when you need to do more. When you have them measured, make sure your doctor also tells you what your goal levels should be and what you can do to get there. Getting more active, losing weight, and making smart food choices can help get these numbers in a healthy range.

** Homocysteine – (in the lamest terms
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) an amino acid (it’s a complicated to process to try to explain, how this is produced in the body – let’s just say metablolism has a lot to do with it. Vitamin B12 anf Folate can neutralize it. Studies suggest that abnormal levels of homocysteine in the blood may damage the lining of blood vessels, making veins and arteries more susceptible to blockage or blood clots. This, in turn, may increase the risk of coronary artery disease.

*** C-reactive protein – marker of inflammation

Action 3: Get Happy
There are lots of reasons to be happy, including your heart health. Negative emotions like anger and hostility can raise blood pressure. People with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack. And while we don't understand how emotional stress causes physical stress, we do know there's a powerful connection. To get yourself in a better mind-set, adopt a more positive outlook and manage daily stressors.

Action 4: Eat Your Heart Out
When making out your grocery list, follow this simple rule of thumb: opt for foods with healthful fats, fiber, and good-for-you nutrients like flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. And nix the salty, sugary, sat-fat-laden, or processed stuff.

Action 5: Learn from Your Relatives
Even though you have a lot of control over your own heart-healthy destiny, a family history of heart disease does raise your risk significantly. So, along with talking to your doctor about a schedule of heart screenings, talk about your family health history, too. And if Mom, Dad, or a sibling developed heart disease, you'll want to be extra vigilant about screenings and about adopting heart-smart habits.

Action 6: Pop Some Pills
Certain nutrients, supplements, and occasional medications can work preventive wonders for your heart. Here are the YOU Docs' top picks:
• Aspirin: Taking aspirin regularly may reduce the incidence of heart attack by making blood platelets less sticky and decreasing arterial inflammation. But it only makes sense for men over the age of 35 and women over the age of 40 (don’t worry we’ll all get to this point
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). And even then, check with your doctor first, because aspirin can have side effects like stomach irritation and bleeding.
• A multivitamin: Your multivitamin is chock-full of heart-healthy micronutrients, like magnesium, calcium, and vitamins D, C, E, and A. (again for the aging adult, but if you are eating a well balanced diet, you shouldn’t need to adopt to this)
• Folate: This B vitamin lowers homocysteine to healthy levels. Since folate from food is only partially absorbed by your body, take a 400-microgram (folic acid) supplement. But make sure you're getting enough B6 and B12, too, because folate can mask a deficiency in these vitamins.


 
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