Coronary heart disease is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle.
10 things you can do to prevent the risk of Coronary heart disease
- Cut down on salt; you should be eating no more than 6g of salt everyday as too much salt will increase your blood pressure. Don’t eat salty crisps, ready meals and processed foods high in salt.
- Include plant sources of Omega 3 fat. You can get Omega 3 from avocados, flax seeds and walnuts. Research shows that Omega 3 prevents arteries from infection, therefore reducing the chance of heart disease.
- You should also add olive oil to your diet. It includes healthy fats which decreases the chance of getting heart disease.
- Take less refined sugar. Refined sugar is inside most processed foods such as commercial bread, baked goods, (pancakes, bakewell tarts.) fizzy drinks, and most importantly, energy drinks. Energy drinks contain chemicals which increase blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease.
- Eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables provide a reliable source of every kind of nutrient that your body needs as well as supplying you with energy.
- Incorporate seeds and nuts in your diet, raw and unsalted when possible. They contain healthy fats which are essential for the health of your arteries.
- Consume fermented foods such as: Sauerkraut, (fermented cabbage) Kefir (fermented milk) and yoghurt. These foods promote healthy gut bacteria called Flora which reduce the chance of you getting heart disease.
- Reduce saturated fat from your diet. Saturated fat is in butter, cheese, cream, cakes, biscuits and sausages or fatty cuts from meat. Saturated fat increases the chance of getting heart disease as it promotes weight gain which increases blood pressure leading to an increased risk of getting heart disease.
- Choose whole grains such as whole wheat, oats, rye and brown rice. These are full of fibre, iron and B vitamins which can help improve blood cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Remember to drink plenty of water; water increases overall body health as well as reducing the chance of getting heart disease by lowering overall blood pressure.
5 lifestyle changes which will reduce the risk of Coronary heart disease.
- Get plenty of exercise. Regular exercise will normally lead to weight loss, and extra weight will put strain on your heart, making it work harder leading to an increase in blood pressure and overall tiredness.
- Drink less alcohol; remember that men should be drinking 1-4 units everyday, and women should only be drinking 1-3 units per day. Binge drinking will have long-term effect on you and increase your blood pressure and damage your liver.
- Don’t smoke. The tar and other chemicals inside the cigarette damage your arteries, heart and lungs as well. Smoking is never beneficial and should be avoided at all costs.
- Stay outside in the Sun. Sunlight promotes the production of vitamin D in your body which is beneficial because it lowers blood pressure and makes you feel significantly happier.
- Reduce stress. Find a way to reduce all the stress in your life. Whether it be playing a sport, doing a job, helping somebody or even going for a walk in the park, find a way to remove all stress from your life. Stress deteriorates your overall health by increasing your blood pressure, disturbing your sleep and even lowering your immune system.
There are many ways you can prevent Coronary heart disease, and they are also beneficial to your overall health and not just your heart health.
