Ways you can Improve your Mind through a Healthy Heart

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Often times, our dietary and workout routines can affect each and every part of our body. To continue to keep your memory sharp as we age, it is important to keep your heart healthy- according to research published in the journal Neurology.

Other factors, including not smoking, past high scores on cognitive tests and the presence of a particular gene variant, were also linked to better memory for people in their 90s, the study found.

One can ask the question though, what are some things that an individual do to help improve heart health? Below are some easy ways to get you started.

Exercise

Regular exercise has numerous benefits for not only your heart health, but your overall health. Even doing something as simple as going for a vigorous walk for 30 minutes a day can offer great results.

Avoid transfats and other unhealthy fats

Many of the heart healthy diets that doctors or health practioners recommend, focus on have lots of fruits, vegetables and lean or legume proteins. Generally, this means that you should try to reduce the amount of meals that are fried or have loads of unhealthy fats that you would see at fast-food joints or at restaurants.

Take care of your teeth

People with gum disease often have the same risk factors for heart disease, so be sure to brush and floss your teeth twice daily.

Improve your sleep

Poor sleep has been linked to cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes. It can also increase plaques that cause artery blockage

3 Ways to Manage Stress for your Heart Health

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Stress is an inevitable part of our everyday lives. It’s important to recognize and manage it because stress can significantly raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. It could also lead to the detriment of your mental health such as depression and anxiety if stress is overlooked for an extended period of time.

Sometimes managing your levels of stress can be as simple as changing aspects of your daily lifestyle. We have come up with three ways on how to better manage stress:

Get enough sleep

Getting adequate sleep is vital for mental and physical health. Fall short on rest can take a serious toll on your energy levels throughout the day, productivity, emotional balance, and weight. 

Avoid sleeping in on weekends. The more your sleep schedule alternates, the more likely you will experience jetlag-like symptoms. To make up for those late nights, opt for a nap during the day rather than sleep in to prevent your natural sleep-wake rhythm from being thrown off.

Get off your phone! Plenty of us is guilty of mindless browsing on our phones before bed. Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone is needed to help regulate sleep and wake cycles. The light emitted from all the screens of electronics suppresses melatonin production. Try listening to music or read a book instead.

Follow smart eating habits

Cut down on the alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. These disrupt your ability to get good rest and interferes with your sleep cycle when you are out of it, especially if you have any of them closer to your bedtime.

Avoid eating large meals late at night. Try scheduling your dinners earlier if you’re planning on having a large meal. Your digestive system requires time and energy to digest food which may be pulling you back from your body on concentrating on sleep.

Exercise

Exercise during the day for optimal results. Regular exercise allows you to sleep better at night and energizes you throughout the day. Exercise speeds up your metabolism and stimulates hormones like cortisol. Morning or afternoon does not make a big difference but working out too close to bed can make sleep afterward difficult.

It can take several months of consistent physical activity before you can get the full sleep-promoting benefits. Just walking at least 10 minutes a day is enough to improve sleep quality. If you’re not a fan of intense exercise, yoga and stretching are great alternatives to help regulate your sleep.

Have any advice on how to get the best sleep you’d like to share? Please comment down below!

Mayo Clinic: 5 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

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Although genetics does play a part in your overall heart health, there are steps you can take to help lower the risk of heart disease. If you follow these 5 strategies you’ll be well on your way to a heart-healthy lifestyle.

1. Don’t smoke or use tobacco

Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke.

2. Exercise for 30 minutes on most days of the week

Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

3. Eat a heart-healthy diet

Eating a special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan can help protect your heart. Following the DASH diet means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol, and salt. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, which can help protect your heart. Beans, other low-fat sources of protein, and certain types of fish also can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Continue reading at www.mayoclinic.com for the rest of these 5 heart health tips.

Heart-Healthy Workouts to do at Home

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Working out is often a great way to de-stress at the end of the day and a good way to keep your heart health in tip-top shape. We often recommend doing at least 30 minutes of exercise a day with activity of any kind such as a vigorous walk or a swim but recent fears of contracting the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, have made many people on edge and avoiding places where they could contract the disease; such as the gym.

This begs the question, what to do you do if you don’t have a place to workout? Better yet, what heart health exercises can you do?

To help, we’ve created this list of exercises that you can do at home that will make sure that you maintain a heart healthy lifestyle.

Yoga

Yoga provides relaxing physical activity all year long and can easily be done in your bedroom, living room or just about anywhere in the house. You can even use yoga first thing in the morning to wake up slowly and get your body warmed up for the day. If you are new to yoga, try out a beginner level class or explore resources online to learn more about meditation and poses.

Running Alternatives

If you love cardio, you probably don’t want to give up that runner’s high, but you might not want to venture out into frosty conditions either. During the cold winter months you can get your heart pumping indoors with cardio workouts you can do at home, such as:

  • Climbing stairs
  • Jumping jacks
  • Mountain climbers
  • Burpees
  • Jump rope
  • High knees
  • Play

Chances are your family and family pets are getting a little stir crazy inside the house, too. Play actively with your kids or pets for another cardiovascular workout option. Whether it is a game of hide and seek or a family dance-off, playing together is a good workout and great fun. Just be sure to secure the breakables and move that coffee table out of the way.

Body Weight Exercises

You can do body weight exercises in your house easily without purchasing any special equipment. Just perform three or four of these exercises three or four times a week to grow stronger.

  • Push-ups
  • Crunches
  • Leg lifts
  • Planks
  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Chair dips
  • Calf raises

YouTube Workouts

There are a lot of workout routines on YouTube. You can search “workout,” or you can search by the specific type of workout that you would like. This eliminates the need to use workout DVDs, and it allows you to mix up what you are doing to avoid boredom. YouTube is also great if you want to do a traditional workout with push-ups, squats, and crunches, but are unsure on how to properly do these types of exercises. There are tons of videos that instruct you on how to use correct form as you exercise.

Tips on how to regulate your sleep for better heart health

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Keeping a proper sleep schedule can sometimes be tricky. Many of us feel distracted at night because we browse social media or we end up binge watching our favourite shows on Netflix.

A new study that was published last week suggests that those who struggle to get a goodnight’s sleep and who suffer from insomnia type symptoms have a greater chance of having a stroke or a heart attack.

It focused on a few key areas: do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Waking up too early in the morning? Or trouble staying focused during the day due to poor sleep? Which many of us can relate to. Below are some of our tips on how to make sure you have a well regulated sleep schedule.

1. Avoid coffee and tea in the late afternoon/evening

We know that coffee and tea are two delicious drinks that many of us simply cannot eliminate, especially during the morning. It is no secret that caffeinated drinks will keep you awake at night, and the reason being, caffeine has a stimulant that is meant to keep you more awake. However, what we may not know is that, coffee stays in your body for approximately 6 hours after you drink a cup, according to ‘Livestrong’. In order to prevent staying awake at night, try to limit your caffeine in-take six hours before bed time. That way your body will release the stimulant and you will feel tired naturally.

2. Avoid Napping & Technology

Taking a nap is probably the greatest feeling in the world but it may be a bad idea for consistent night-time sleep. Napping for a long period of time can result in feeling grumpy, and will affect your ability to fall asleep at night. If you try to limit the time frame of your naps or napping in general, it may aid into the elimination of an irregular sleep pattern. Instead, go to sleep earlier than you normally would.

In light of napping and falling asleep at a decent time, technology can sometimes be problematic for a proper sleep schedule. We have all had those nights, where we feel so tired, to the point that one eye is open but the other is closed. The reason for the open eye may be because of the cute video on social media, of the cute puppy taking care of his younger brother and sisters. While it is okay to be immersed in technology, it is equally as important to give yourself a schedule. Consider stopping your browsing an hour before bed time so that your mind has the ability to relax.

3. Limit Netflix and Chill

We all love Netflix and chill, more specifically, the snacks involved such as potato chips, ice cream, candy, and popcorn. While we indulge in our snacks and watch the new episode of stranger things, it is important to know when to call it quits- and tell your mind ‘one more episode’ isn’t happening. Perhaps, give yourself a cut off time for television, but it is important to be diligent in doing so. This will ensure that you are sleeping on time, gaining enough rest for your busy days at the office, and helping to prevent the possibility of certain health issues.

Overall, it is important to keep schedules and routines. Once your body gets used to an everyday task, it then becomes difficult to stray away from it. Furthermore, lack of sleep can cause severe health issues that may not be as evident now but could be in the near future. Sleeping regularly and making sure you are receiving enough rest is important to properly function every day. You will feel more organized, alert, and energized – perhaps, you won’t need that cup of coffee after all!