Avoiding the start of heart disease is something we all should be striving for since this condition kills more American than any other disease.
Once heart disease has started, and the conditioned has progressed for a while symptoms may start to be seen.
The list of common symptoms includes shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, irregular heart rhythms, fatigue, numbness in the extremities, excessive sweating, excessive urination particularly at night, and light headedness.
So avoiding the start of heart disease should be something on the mind of most people, especially those who have a family history of heart disease.
The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease (CHD).
This condition kills almost 500,000 Americans each years as is caused by the narrowing of the arteries surrounding the heart.
A buildup of arterial plaque (cholesterol, calcium, dead cells) is responsible for this narrowing.
In order to avoid the start of heart disease we must take steps to prevent the buildup of arterial and coronary plaque.
Surprisingly it is the very lifestyle that most us have come to love that could kill us and adopting a heart healthy lifestyle earlier, rather than later, could really pay dividends in the long run.
I know it may not be easy to make some of these changes but if I can do it anyone can.
The good news is that after a while you will start to feel better overall and those old unhealthy habits will have evolved into a new healthy lifestyle.
Let's take a look at four steps that will provide a good starting point for a new healthier you.
*Select your foods wisely: Our goal is to reduce cholesterol and saturated in our diet.
These culprits play a major role in the formation of coronary artery plaque deposits and every effort should be make to avoid them.
The first step is to eat more vegetables, whole grains, and less red meat.
You should also shoot for consuming a least one portion of high soluble fiber foods daily (oatmeal, oat bran, flax bread, apples, pears, beans).
The reason for this is that soluble fiber helps your body eliminate excess cholesterol, keeping it from ending up in your arteries.
*Omega 3 fatty acids: This idea that the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA could protect your heart and arteries is a fairly new idea.
The latest research seems to show that a daily dosage of between 700 to 950 mg of DHA/EPA seems to reduce clotting, condition the interior lining of the arteries, and prevent cholesterol from forming.
If supplementation isn't your bag the American Heart Association suggest eating two 4 oz serving of baked cold water fatty fish (salmon, herring, cod, mackerel, albacore) as an alternative.
*Stay active: To avoid the start of heart disease you will need to stay active.
A recent study found that 4 out of every 10 heart attack victims failed to get enough exercise.
You should talk with your doctor about what is the right amount of exercise for you.
*Don't smoke: Smoking increases bad cholesterol and triglycerides (early stage blood fats) which eventually end up as arterial plaque.
Smokers are 4 times more likely to have heart disease than non smokers.
What else? Two additional ideas are to maintain a healthy weight and enlist the help of a natural cholesterol reduction supplement if needed.
Once heart disease has started, and the conditioned has progressed for a while symptoms may start to be seen.
The list of common symptoms includes shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, irregular heart rhythms, fatigue, numbness in the extremities, excessive sweating, excessive urination particularly at night, and light headedness.
So avoiding the start of heart disease should be something on the mind of most people, especially those who have a family history of heart disease.
The most common form of heart disease is coronary heart disease (CHD).
This condition kills almost 500,000 Americans each years as is caused by the narrowing of the arteries surrounding the heart.
A buildup of arterial plaque (cholesterol, calcium, dead cells) is responsible for this narrowing.
In order to avoid the start of heart disease we must take steps to prevent the buildup of arterial and coronary plaque.
Surprisingly it is the very lifestyle that most us have come to love that could kill us and adopting a heart healthy lifestyle earlier, rather than later, could really pay dividends in the long run.
I know it may not be easy to make some of these changes but if I can do it anyone can.
The good news is that after a while you will start to feel better overall and those old unhealthy habits will have evolved into a new healthy lifestyle.
Let's take a look at four steps that will provide a good starting point for a new healthier you.
*Select your foods wisely: Our goal is to reduce cholesterol and saturated in our diet.
These culprits play a major role in the formation of coronary artery plaque deposits and every effort should be make to avoid them.
The first step is to eat more vegetables, whole grains, and less red meat.
You should also shoot for consuming a least one portion of high soluble fiber foods daily (oatmeal, oat bran, flax bread, apples, pears, beans).
The reason for this is that soluble fiber helps your body eliminate excess cholesterol, keeping it from ending up in your arteries.
*Omega 3 fatty acids: This idea that the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA could protect your heart and arteries is a fairly new idea.
The latest research seems to show that a daily dosage of between 700 to 950 mg of DHA/EPA seems to reduce clotting, condition the interior lining of the arteries, and prevent cholesterol from forming.
If supplementation isn't your bag the American Heart Association suggest eating two 4 oz serving of baked cold water fatty fish (salmon, herring, cod, mackerel, albacore) as an alternative.
*Stay active: To avoid the start of heart disease you will need to stay active.
A recent study found that 4 out of every 10 heart attack victims failed to get enough exercise.
You should talk with your doctor about what is the right amount of exercise for you.
*Don't smoke: Smoking increases bad cholesterol and triglycerides (early stage blood fats) which eventually end up as arterial plaque.
Smokers are 4 times more likely to have heart disease than non smokers.
What else? Two additional ideas are to maintain a healthy weight and enlist the help of a natural cholesterol reduction supplement if needed.