Reducing Risks for Heart Disease

Reducing Risks for Heart Disease

* Changing our eating habits can be tough, but can have many lasting effects on the heart. According to the Mayo Clinic site “Heart-Healthy eating isn’t all about cutting back, though. Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet” ("Mayoclinic.com", 2011). Not only is it important to watch what we take into our bodies, it is also important to exercise and try to avoid stress or at least reduce some of the stress in our lives. Although heart disease can be genetic, we can reduce our risks by developing a healthier diet, exercising and reducing stress.

* A healthy diet is an excellent starting point in reducing your risk for heart disease. By changing your eating habits and making these changes a part of your lifestyle you can enjoy a healthier lifestyle. A heart healthy diet works in many ways, as stated in the article titled Eating for a Healthy Heart, “for example it may help reduce cholesterol, prevent excessive blood clotting and lower blood pressure” (Aphramor, 2007). Being able to make healthier choices when choosing foods to eat and also controlling the amount consumed at one meal are also important. When eating out most portions served are more for 2 people instead of just one meal. A good thing to avoid over eating is to take half of the meal home. I find it very helpful to go ahead and ask for a to go box and when the meal comes to the table. This way I can go ahead and put a portion of the meal in the box. This helps in an effort to try and avoid eating too much. This practice can also help in losing weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight. People with excess body fat are more likely to develop heart disease even if they do not have other risk factors. Making healthy choices can also include not smoking and reducing the amount of salt intake. Reducing your weight and also maintaining a healthy weight will not only lower your risk but also increase your energy levels. In the end it is...