Elizabeth Beetham BSc – Author, Health Journalist and Nutritionist, shares her knowledge to help you Eat Well for a Healthy Heart

It is a good decision when we start to look after our feet, they really do work very hard for us, and we sometimes take them for granted but having made this positive step 😊 for your health, then why not consider taking a few more steps towards a Healthy Lifestyle?

Why not learn to love your heart!  Coronary Heart Disease is the major cause of death in the UK.  We can protect ourselves from this disease with lifestyle changes.  Whatever your age, start building good habits; eat healthily, exercise, and learn to relax; these things will strengthen the coronary arteries and protect them from harm. You should aim to:

  1. Eat Well
  • Choose the right type of fat in your diet, e.g., olive oil and fish oils. Avoid too much animal fat; remove fat from meat and the skin from chicken.  Take a high-quality Omega 3 supplement.  This will help reduce the LDL (bad Cholesterol), which leads to fatty deposits building up in the walls of the coronary arteries.
  • Reduce your meat intake and eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains. Introduce pulses into your diet; they are a wonderful alternative to meat and are high in protein and fibre.
  • Choose foods rich in fibre; porridge oats are a good choice for breakfast, with added sunflower seeds and nuts to increase protein intake – the body needs protein at breakfast.
  • Limit your intake of salt, so read food labels; excessive salt in your diet increases the risk of high blood pressure, which stresses the heart.
  • Remove all processed foods from your diet – my challenge to you; try it for just 30 days and feel the benefits to your health.

 

  1. Restrict your Caffeine

Caffeine adds to the workload of the heart and increases adrenal activity, making arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm) more common.  Caffeine also reduces our ability to relax and contributes to elevated serum cholesterol.

  1. Do not become overweight

If you are severely overweight, you are increasing the heart’s workload and putting a strain on all the organs of the body and your joints. You should aim to keep your weight within 20 percent of the normal figure for your height, sex, and build, this will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease.  If you need help, please contact me.

  1. Learn to Relax

Learn to relax because stress is bad for your health and can increase the risk of heart attacks.  It increases the activity of the adrenal glands and sympathetic nervous system, which causes the heart to work harder and increases the risk of arrhythmias and coronary artery spasms.  Exercise is a wonderful way to reduce stress and is important for a healthy heart, so please remember to “Move that Body,” for 30 minutes at least five times each week.

Live with joy and health.

Elizabeth Beetham BSc

Tel: 07773 790736