The Role of Diet and Exercise in Maintaining Heart Health

Your heart is the center of your cardiovascular system and overall well-being. However, most people overlook heart health’s significance in preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases. According to statistics, heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the US.  

Diet and exercise are the simplest yet most effective ways to maintain a healthy heart and improve heart rhythms. Read on to learn more about getting the best out of exercise and diet on your path to improved heart health.

Diet for Heart Health

The food you eat is essential to your overall well-being, affecting your hormones, weight, and the health of your body organs, including your heart. So, aim to maintain a balanced diet to minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. A heart-healthy diet can benefit your heart even when you have heart disease.

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What You Should Include in Your Diet

While you may know that some foods may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, changing your diet often isn’t a walk in the park.

Here are some foods you should consider for a heart-healthy diet:

Choose Healthy Fats

Contrary to popular belief, certain fats are beneficial to your health. However, picking the correct type of fats is essential to maintain your heart health.

The rule of thumb is to limit your consumption of saturated fats and replace them with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Excessive consumption of saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Monounsaturated Fats

If you do use fats, we recommend using monounsaturated fats. Some examples of monounsaturated fats you can use include olive oil, rapeseed oil, and canola oil. Other common healthy sources of monounsaturated fats include avocado, unsalted cashew nuts, and almonds.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Another heart-healthy option is polyunsaturated fats. These fats can aid in the reduction of harmful cholesterol levels in the blood, lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke. Polyunsaturated fat-rich oils also provide critical fats that your body requires but cannot make, such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid Trans Fats

Try to avoid trans fat. This type of fat is common in processed foods, and you can check for it by looking for the “partially hydrogenated” label on the ingredient list. Trans fats are a double trouble for your health – they increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Nevertheless, moderation is essential even when you choose healthy fats; all fat types are high in calories.

Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

A healthy diet should contain at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and low in calories. Like other plants or plant-based diets, vegetables and fruits contain antioxidants that may aid in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. 

Also, consuming more fruits and vegetables will assist in reducing your higher calorie intake in foods like snacks and meat.

If you can’t get fresh vegetables and fruits, there’s no need to worry! Frozen and canned veggies and fruits have almost the same nutritional content as fresh ones. When shopping for frozen or canned fruit, choose ones with no added sugar or syrup labels. 

Go Whole-Grain

Most people still enjoy carbohydrate comfort food and products regardless of the fuss about carbs. Now that you can’t get over your carb products cravings, consider going whole grain.

Whole grains boast a range of nutrients, including dietary fiber and mineral salts, that play a significant role in maintaining your heart health by regulating blood pressure and cholesterol. You can boost your whole grain intake by choosing easy alternatives for grain products. So, instead of regular pasta and white bread, choose whole-grain pasta and bread.

You can’t recognize whole-grain foods by looking at the color; be on the look for the nutrition label when shopping for grain products. It is essential to note that the ingredients on a food label are listed in descending order of concentration. So, the term “whole grain” or “whole” should appear at the top of the ingredient list. 

What You Should Limit in Your Diet

Below are some of the food items you should limit for a heart-healthy diet:

Sodium (Salt)

Although the body requires a modest amount of Sodium to operate properly, most people consume too much Sodium. Excessive salt consumption can cause high blood pressure, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The primary source of Sodium in our diet is table salt.

Added Sugar

Most processed beverages and foods contain added sugar. They include sodas, cakes, candy, and pies, to name a few. Excessive added sugar consumption can elevate blood pressure and chronic inflammation, contributing to heart disease. So, the higher your added sugar intake, the higher the risk of cardiovascular illnesses. 

Alcohol

The heart-healthy diet recommends limited or no consumption of alcohol. If you love your drink, consider enjoying it in moderation. Moderate drinking means one per day for women and two per day for men. Too much consumption of alcohol can cause atrial fibrillation, heart failure, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, and stroke.

Exercise for Heart Health

Another essential aspect of achieving a healthy heart is exercising. Besides your heart health, physical activity helps manage your weight, especially with a healthy diet. A 2019 study shows moderate to vigorous exercises enhance cardiovascular function in patients with previous heart failure. 

Exercising strengthens your heart muscles, helping it to pump more blood per pulse. It increases the amount of oxygen in your body. Consequently, your body performs more optimally with enough oxygen circulation.

Also, exercising helps to minimize the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease by reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol. This type of cholesterol can cause artery clogging and a heart attack.

Various exercise types have significant perks to your heart health. They include:

Cardio

Aerobic exercise, commonly known as “cardio” exercise, is the most effective exercise for your cardiovascular system because it involves repeatedly activating large muscle groups. This exercise enhances blood circulation, lowering your blood pressure and heart rate.

For beginners, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week is well-recommended. Some examples of moderate-intensity cardio include the following:

• Walking very brisk
• Mowing a lawn
• Playing double tennis
• Cycling on level terrain

To achieve the best results, consider blending moderate- and vigorous-intensity cardio exercises. It will allow you to spend less time exercising while reaping better benefits. Some examples of rigorous cardio exercises include:

• Hiking
• Jogging
• Swimming
• Bicycling fast
• Shovelling

Strength Training

Resistance training offers a more targeted impact on body composition. It can help decrease fat and develop lean muscle mass for people with excessive body fat, particularly a large belly, which is a heart disease risk factor.

Strength training improves lean muscle mass, giving your cardiovascular system more areas to direct the blood pumped. It reduces the pressure on your arteries, lowering your heart disease risk.

According to research and CDC, a mix of aerobic and resistance exercises is more effective for persons with coronary heart disease that cardio alone. You should include strength training in your fitness regimen at least twice weekly.

You can use your body weight for strength training by including exercises such as:

• Push-ups
• Squats
• Planks
• Lunges
• Contralateral limb raises

Alternatively, you can use free weights to target various muscle groups.

Check Your Diet and Create an Exercise Routine for Optimal Heart Health

Diet and exercise are critical components of heart health, particularly in strengthening heart rhythms. You are more likely to acquire health problems if you do not consume a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Follow our insightful guide and kickstart your journey to a healthy heart!