Treat a Heart Attack Before it Happens
Treat a Heart Attack Before it Happens
Heart attacks are a result of coronary artery disease. They are also the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. While there are many medically acceptable ways to treat heart attack patients when they are rushed to the emergency room, the best “treatment” option is maintaining a proactive focus on avoiding one altogether. With some simple lifestyle standards, the risk of heart attack can be greatly reduced.
Two of the main lifestyle factors that can determine a heart attack are diet and exercise. If you pay careful attention to what you are putting in your body and make sure that you maintain good activity levels you have a far better chance of avoiding a heart attack.
Diet
Food is fuel for your body. If you choose better fuel, your body will stay in better shape, including your heart. The proper diet for heart health is widely agreed upon by medical professionals. By keeping a proper balance of food sources and paying attention to nutrition content you can make sure that your heart stays healthy and that your body gets the energy that it needs.
Pay Attention to Nutrition Content
- Fat should not make up more than a third of your daily calories. While your body does need fat for energy avoid saturated fat. Choose foods that have mono-unsaturated fat like olive oil.
- Sodium-which enters your diet as salt most of the time- should be kept to a minimum. Limit sodium intake to less than 1500 milligrams per day. Remember that many foods-even fresh meats and vegetable- may have sodium in them naturally.
- Cholesterol must be watched. Limit cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams per day.
While you have probably heard of all of the nutritional elements mentioned above you may be asking yourself “How do I relate this to food?”. The best way is to check labels while you are at the grocery store. All of the above factors will be included in the nutrition information. The other option is to stick to a diet that is comprised of the healthy foods you need.
Comprise Your Diet Of
- Fruits and vegetables- eat at least 4.5 cups per day
- Whole grains- try 3 separate 1 ounce servings per day
- Lean Meats- If you choose to get your protein from animal sources go for non-fatty options. Poultry and fish are your best choices. In fact you should aim to eat oily fish (like salmon) twice a week.
If you limit your diet to food sources you guarantee yourself a healthier heart. Fatty, greasy and sugar filled foods are bad for your body in general, including your heart. Once you begin exploring recipes you may be surprised how delicious a healthy diet can be.
Exercise
In addition to eating healthy food exercise is a great way to help you avoid a heart attack. While there are many types of exercise aerobic exercise is the best for your heart. Aerobic exercise is any type of activity that gets your heart rate up and lets your body burn calories. Common examples are:
- Walking
- Jogging or Running
- Playing Sports
- Dancing
- Swimming
You should look to exercise moderately for 150 minutes a week. To make it more realistic try engaging in a half hour of exercise 5 days a week. Moderate exercise means that your heart rate is raised but you are not putting too much stress on your body. If you are new to exercise start out slow, try walking for instance, until your body is conditioned enough to safely raise your activity level. You can join a gym or take advantage of any of the public parks in Margate if you are not sure where to exercise. If your schedule does not afford you time to dedicate to exercise remember, any activity is beneficial to your heart. Engage in 10 or 15 minute periods of activity several times a day as your schedule allows.
If you have questions about the best way to avoid a heart attack or would like general medical information call Consult-A-Nurse at 1-866-442-2362 or visit Northwest Medical Center online.