Keeping Your Heart Healthy

The best way look after your heart is with a healthy lifestyle.

Be smoke-free
Being smoke free is one of the best things you can do to protect your heart.

Manage your blood cholesterol
Your body cholesterol needs to be healthy, but an imbalance of cholesterol in your blood can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Manage your blood pressure
Blood pressure isn’t usually something you can feel. If it’s too high, it needs to be treated.

Manage diabetes
It’s important to manage your diabetes to help prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Be physically active
Regular, moderate physical activity is great for your heart health. It’s also important to sit less during your day and break up your sitting time.

Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems.

Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods
Eating a varied diet of healthy foods can help with your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. There are also specific changes you can make to your diet to help prevent heart attack:
(a)Eat less salt: Reducing your salt intake is good for your blood pressure.
(b)Replacing unhealthy fats with healthy fats can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Look after your mental health
We know that there can be a greater risk of heart disease for people who have depression, are socially isolated or do not have good social support. Having a good social life with family and friends can help.

Source: American Heart Foundation