How To Keep Your Heart Healthy

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

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Be smoke-free 

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

Manage your blood cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance carried in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol 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 never too late to start and get the benefits. 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. It can help to know your body mass index and waist measurements and what these mean.

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 disease:

• Eat less salt: Reducing your salt intake is good for your blood pressure.
• Replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats: Replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats can reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Limit alcohol: If you have a heart condition (e.g. high blood pressure), talk with your doctor or health practitioner about what’s right for you.

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.

Depression is more than feeling sad or low. If you feel depressed for more than two weeks, talk to your doctor, a family member or someone you know well.

Sourced from the Heart Foundation.