1. Healthy and Nutritious Diet:
Fruits and Vegetables: Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, which help protect the heart.
Whole Grains: Consume whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice. This helps in lowering cholesterol.
Healthy Fats: Foods like almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are very beneficial for the heart. Roasted pumpkin seeds and garlic are also good for the heart.
Proteins: Include lean proteins like fish (especially salmon and tuna), legumes and pulses in your diet.
Reduce Salt and Sugar: Excess salt and sugar are harmful for the heart. Reduce their intake.
Avoid oily foods: Avoid eating fried and highly oily foods as they are high in saturated and trans fats.
2. Regular Exercise:
Physical activity: Get at least 45 minutes of physical exercise every day. This can include aerobic exercises like brisk walking, jogging, cycling or swimming.
Yoga and Pranayama: Yoga and Pranayama help balance the oxygen levels in the body and reduce mental stress, which keeps the heart healthy.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): HIIT workouts with intense exercise and rest periods can be effective in strengthening the heart.
3. Maintain Healthy Weight:
It is important to maintain a healthy body weight for your height and age. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
4. Control Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar:
Regular check-ups: Check your blood pressure and blood sugar levels regularly.
Keeping diabetes and high blood pressure under control reduces the risk of heart disease.
5. Avoid Smoking and Excessive Alcohol:
Smoking is very harmful to the heart. It increases the risk of heart disease.
Drink alcohol in limited quantities (one drink per day for women and two drinks for men).
6. Manage Stress:
Stress has a negative effect on the heart. Try to reduce stress by doing yoga, meditation, pursuing hobbies or talking to friends and family.
Engaging in good activities also reduces stress and keeps the mind happy, which is good for the heart.
7. Get Enough Sleep:
Get adequate and restful sleep of 7-8 hours every day. Lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
8. Regular Health Check-ups:
Get regular heart check-ups as you age. Check cholesterol and triglyceride levels every 6 months.