Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon
Looking out of your heart is a 24/7 lifestyle, but one thing to thank yourself for in the future. Below are some tips to make sure you maintain good heart health in the long run.
Bloomingdale, Illinois, Feb. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Every February Americans observe American Heart Month to raise awareness and reaffirm the importance of a healthy heart. Heart disease accounts for nearly a third of worldwide deaths, something that more than 600,000 Americans die each year. But awareness of heart disease is so important because many of the contributing factors can be controlled and prevented, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and excessive alcohol consumption.
Looking out of your heart is a 24/7 lifestyle, but one thing to thank yourself for in the future. Below are some tips to make sure you maintain good heart health in the long run.
Healthy food
It almost says we should eat well to look after our physical well-being, but there are some foods we can eat more of to maintain a healthy heart. Leafy green vegetables like spinach and cabbage are full of antioxidants and vitamins like vitamin K, which help strengthen your arteries and prevent deposits of calcium on the walls of the arteries. Other nutritious foods like whole fiber grains, berries, nuts, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats like avocados all contribute to a healthy and active heart.
Be active
We have all struggled at some point due to Covid-19 pandemic to maintain or resume our exercise routines. With quieter lifestyles and fewer reasons to get out of the house, even our most active ones have found it difficult to move. But we don’t have to go on 10 mile walks or a 100 pound squat to reap the benefits of exercise. The way different types of exercises target different parts of the body will also make your heart muscle stronger, making it pump blood through your body more efficiently. Pumping the heart is the most important thing when it comes to being active, so get creative and use your everyday household products – whether it’s biceps curls with bean sprouts or one-legged lunges using chairs the dining room.
Maintain a healthy weight
More and more we are realizing the benefits of avoiding the blades and instead using as you do feeling in your body and mind as a measure of physical well-being. But of course, it’s important to maintain your weight within a healthy range so that you can be confident that everything is working as it should in your age. Your body mass index (BMI) is the best tool to understand if a person has the best weight in terms of their height. According to the National Institutes of Health BMI is less than 18.5 underweight, between 18.5 and 24.9 is the optimal weight, and between 25 and 29.9 is obese. As long as you exercise regularly and eat well, you will increase the chances of falling into your individual BMI, and eventually not even think about it.
Stay away from cigarettes and smoking
Anyone who has ever smoked will tell you just how hard it is to quit. Nicotine is highly addictive and it is not uncommon to try to stop smoking many times. But knowing the facts is enough to scare people into saying goodbye forever. Smoking covers the walls of your arteries in sticky residues from chemicals, meaning fat can stick to them. Damage to the walls of the artery can lead to clogging that causes heart attack and stroke. Secondhand smoke can also cause heart disease, leading to 34,000 early deaths in the United States each year among non-smokers. Staying away from cigarettes is the most important thing you can do for your cardiovascular health.
Alcohol in moderation
Alcohol is one of the factors that can increase both weight and blood pressure, which increases the risks of heart attack. Having more than three drinks in one sitting can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels, and long-term health can affect drinking too much. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation, which means one drink a day for women, and two for men. Heavy drinkers can significantly reduce their blood pressure by cutting back on their alcohol intake. Some medical professionals agree that red wine is a better option than alcohol, but alcohol is not the best option.
Manage pressure
Your blood pressure can rise due to external factors, so it’s important to take steps to control your weight levels. COVID is a perfect time to do yoga, go on long walks, and even regularly treat yourself to more “time for me”, by teasing yourself with a long bath and watching your favorite TV shows. Some people may benefit from doing mindfulness and meditation exercises.
You only get one heart, so it’s important that we look after it every day to make sure it’s equipped to keep everything working for years to come.
Here are some tasty and easy healthy recipes to keep your heart happy.
Walnut Pear & Yam Skillet
1 1/2 tablespoons of avocado oil
3 1/2 cups (3/4-inch cubes) peeled yam
1/2 cup pickle onion
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup California nuts, coarsely chopped and roasted
1 large pear Anjou red but ripe
1 tablespoon of balsamic grapes
Heat oil in a very large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add yam and onion and cook for 15 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add water, basil and salt; cover and cook over low heat for 10 more minutes or until onion is very soft.
Remove cover and add walnuts and pear; cook for a further 5 minutes or until a pear is heated through and softened. Stir in grapes and season with pepper.
Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
Chicken Salad Collard Cover
Salann Kosher
Pepper
8 large evergreen leaves, stems cut off
3/4 c. low fat Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Mustard Dijon
2 celery stalls, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 c. dill, roughly cut
4 c. shredded white meat chicken breast
1 small avocado, diced
1 mango, thin slice
Tomato-and-cucumber salad, to serve
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add 2 teaspoon salt to boiling water, then add collard leaves and cook until straight, about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once cool, move to a large kitchen towel and dry. These can be stored in an air box between sheets of paper heels for up to 3 days.
In a bowl, add yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Wrap in celery, scallops, and dill, then add chicken and avocado and toss gently into a coat.
Place collard greens on a work surface, fill each with a chicken salad and mango chips, then wrap as a burrito. Serve with tomato-and-cucumber salad.
Frittata Kale Sweet potato
6 large eggs
1 c. half-and-half
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Freshly ground pepper
2 c. sweet potato
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 c. pickled cabbage tightly packed
1/2 small Red Onion
2 garlic clove
3 oz. goat’s cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together eggs and the next 3 ingredients.
Sauté sweet potatoes in 1 tablespoon of hot oil in a 10-inch oven nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and golden; remove and keep warm. Sauté kale and the next 2 ingredients in 1 tablespoon of oil 3 to 4 minutes or until cabbage has become tender and tender; add potatoes. Press egg mixture evenly over vegetables, and cook another 3 minutes. Sprinkle egg mixture with goat cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees F 10 to 14 minutes or until set.
Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon is a an integrated clinical psychologist and a dual board certified intervention with postgraduate concentration / specialization in functional health and wellness. She is a best-selling author, a frequent speaker at Harvard and director of the Center for Integrated and Active Health and Wellness, one of Chicago’s leading integrated health and wellness centers. For more information visit thecifhw.com/
Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon
+1 630-980-1400
This announcement was made for the source above. Dr. Aimee Harris-Newon [ID=16913]
Disclaimer: The information is not an advice or offer to buy. Any purchase from this story will be made at your own risk. Consult an experienced health professional / consultant before purchasing one. Any purchase made from this link is subject to the final terms and conditions of sale of the website. The publisher of the content and its distribution partners assumes no responsibility directly or indirectly. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, please contact the company that owns this news release.