Heart Doctors Give This Advice To Family And Friends

December 1, 2017

Have you ever wondered what kind of advice heart doctors give their family and friends? With some much conflicting information circulating over the airwaves on how to keep your heart in shape; diets, exercises, whether or not to take aspirin, what to do but ask the heart doctor.

 

 

heart doctors

 

Health Magazine surveyed top cardiologists for their advice.

 

Health Doctors: Skip Food Fads

Skip food fads. Many prohibit foods that are actually good for you, such as beans, legumes or whole grains which actually lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar.

 

 

Health Doctors: Eat These Types of Fish

Eat fish rich in Omega 3’s. Eat salmon, herring, tuna and anchovies. They have the highest levels of omega-3s. Omega-3 lowers triglycerides and reduces inflammation.

 

 

Health Doctors: Salt is Not Taboo

The long-standing salt limit is 1,500 milligrams a day, but some studies show that blood pressure rises only when salt intake tops 3,500mg daily. If your kidneys are healthy, you probably don’t need to cut all added salt from your diet. A better move is to avoid processed foods, which contain very high levels of salt.

Heart Doctors: Pass On The Aspirin

Despite all the studies about aspirin’s heart benefits, it’s not for everyone.  One danger is bleeding. If you’re under 65 with no risk factors, daily aspirin is not helpful.

 

 

Heart Doctors: Avoid Stress

Stress puts undue strain on your heart, circulatory system, emotions, and cognitive abilities.

 

 

Heart Doctors: Control Your Sugar Intake

Excess sugar leads to high blood pressure and diabetes.

Heart Doctors: Strength Training

Strength training revs up your metabolic rate, so you burn more calories at rest. This may keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels low and helps prevent metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for heart disease.  A 15-minute daily routine that includes sit-ups and push-ups  is a good way to start.

Heart Doctors: Laugh

Laughter is huge. Fifteen minutes of laughter is equivalent to 30 minutes of aerobic activity in terms of its benefits  for cardiovascular health.

Heart Doctors: Eat Nuts

Eat walnuts, almonds, pecans and peanuts. They help increase HDL (good) cholesterol.

Heart Doctors: Good Drinks 

Green tea: For every extra cup you sip a day, you may reduce your coronary artery disease risk by 10 percent, according to a recent review.

Coffee: Increasing your coffee by at least a cup a day may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes (which raises your heart risk).

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