Did you know that heart disease claims more than one million lives per year,
making it the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States?
The worst part is that nearly half of the heart
attacks occur without prior symptoms or warning signs.
Hi viewers and welcome back to Bestie!
While some risk factors like family history and age are out of your control,
there are choices you can make to improve your heart health.
And this includes knowing what not to do.
In today’s video, we will tell you habits you should avoid if you want a healthy heart.
From drinking soda, ignoring your sleep, not flossing,
overeating salt to being overweight and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Drinking Excess Alcohol:
While a daily glass of red wine has health benefits,
excessive alcohol is linked to health problems.
Drinking more than three drinks per day can have a toxic effect on your heart.
It can lead to high blood pressure, an enlarged and weakened heart,
and a higher level of fat stored in your body.
A good rule of thumb, and heart:
Have no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two for men.
How many drinks do you have in a week?
One?
Two?
Tell us quickly down below in the comments section!
Ignoring Your Sleep:
Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea,
a disorder in which your breathing starts and stops throughout the night.
This causes sudden drops in your oxygen levels,
which spikes blood pressure and strains your heart.
If you wake up with a hoarse throat, or your partner reports heavy snoring,
bring it up to your doctor.
Your time sleeping matters, too,
as research has shown a link between sleep deprivation and heart problems.
Remember to aim for eight hours each night.
Sitting for Hours:
Regularly sitting for multiple hours at a time can
increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke, even if you exercise regularly.
Research has linked prolonged sitting with obesity, higher blood pressure,
and an increased likelihood of death from heart disease and cancer.
Experts think the lack of activity affects the levels of fats and sugars in your blood.
You can counteract this risk by moving whenever you can,
taking walks around the office, or even using a standing desk.
Overeating:
Everyone's biggest concern from overeating tends to be weight gain—or maybe a stomach ache.
But filling your plate up with seconds and thirds can cause way bigger issues.
Heavy meals can also trigger heart attacks or heart failure—especially
if you're already dealing with a heart issue, like heart disease.
When you eat a lot of food at once, the stomach expands and
the body shifts blood from the heart to the digestive system.
In people who already have a blockage in their arteries,
any diversion of blood away from the heart can result in chest pain.
Smoking:
Most people know smoking is bad for their lungs.
But it’s just as bad for your heart.
It harms your heart by damaging your blood vessels and raising your blood pressure.
It also keeps your body from getting enough oxygen into your blood.
Even being around other people while they smoke can cause serious damage.
Stress:
Trying to get the kids to the school bus on time, meeting deadlines at work,
or paying an unexpected home improvement bill can all be culprits for stress.
And if you're constantly feeling the side effects of stress, your body can feel the consequences.
It can cause your heart rate to become erratic.
It is also known to cause inflammation in the body.
If you're in a constant state of stress,
your body is in this unhealthy state all the time and may cause some serious heart damage.
Not Flossing: Your dentist is right:
Flossing is important — but not just for your teeth.
A study found that people with coronary heart disease who flossed
experienced fewer heart problems.
What's the connection?
Studies show that bacteria associated with gum disease promotes inflammation in the body.
And inflammation has been associated with increased risk for heart disease.
A variety of flossing tools are available to make the task a little easier in hard-to-reach areas,
from flossing picks to threaders that guide the floss.
Overeating Salt:
Excessive sodium can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease.
Avoiding the saltshaker isn’t too difficult, but what about hidden sodium?
Processed foods — including canned vegetables and soups, lunch meats,
frozen dinners, chips, and other salty snacks — account for most of the salt Americans eat.
Be sure to read nutrition labels and compare products.
Choose the one with the lowest percent daily value for sodium.
A rule of thumb to follow:
Eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day.
You watch too much TV:
Many people would probably admit watching TV is their favorite hobby.
But while your brain loves getting sucked into those Netflix marathons,
your heart isn't as big of a fan.
In a 2019 study, researchers found those who watch more than four hours
of TV per day are at a 50 percent greater risk of heart disease and
premature death than those who watch less than two hours daily.
So enjoy your favorite show, then move on to a less screen-focused activity.
Eating Too Much Red Meat:
If red meat is on your plate every night of week, it's time to cut back.
This is because there's a correlation between
the increased consumption of red meat and heart disease.
The more red meat you eat, the higher your bad cholesterol tends to be.
Because of that, you should only eat red meat in moderation, or—better yet—avoid it altogether.
Ignoring Depression:
If you know you're depressed but haven't done anything to help get
your mental health back on track, you could be destroying your heart.
People who have depression are at an increased risk for heart disease.
A study found that providing early treatment for depression,
and treating the symptoms early cut their risk of heart disease in half.
Be aware of your mood and get help early if you ever notice
that you're experiencing feelings of depression.
Eating Too Many Processed Foods:
Sure, processed foods are amazing.
There's no denying that.
Unfortunately, they're terrible for your heart.
Fried foods, processed cheeses, snacks,
and junk food provide no nutritional benefit and actually cause harm.
What's the alternative?
Sticking to a Mediterranean diet is a good place to start.
It's the best way to reduce cholesterol and nourish your
body with heart healthy ingredients like fish, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fruit.
Eating too much processed food is bad not just for your heart,
but it can also cause your skin to look older.
To know which foods you should avoid,
watch this video titled “13 Foods To Avoid If You Want Younger Looking Skin”
Now back to Everyday Habits That Are Bad For Your Heart
Drinking Soda:
Soda puts your heart at risk.
One study found that those who regularly drank diet soda were more
likely to experience a stroke or heart attack and die from vascular disease.
This was even after researchers controlled for factors like smoking,
exercise, sodium intake and high cholesterol.
Sugary soda is potentially damaging, too.
People eating too much added sugar, like that in soda,
have a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Poor Diet:
You probably already know that sugar, salt and processed foods can impact your heart health.
But sometimes it’s what you don’t eat that can lead to heart trouble.
If you don’t eat fruit, vegetables, whole grains,
beans, nuts, fish and poultry, you could be doing extra damage.
Studies have shown that people who eat more fruits
and vegetables with each meal have a decreased risk for heart disease.
Being overweight:
It’s true that people who are overweight are at a
greater risk for developing problems with their hearts.
An even better way to judge if your weight may affect your heart is to measure your waist.
People who carry fat in that area tend to develop heart-related complications more
than those who carry it elsewhere on their bodies.
It’s recommended that men maintain a waist size of 40 inches or less.
Women should aim for 35 inches or smaller.
Getting Angry A Lot:
When you get angry, your body releases stress hormones.
This causes your blood pressure to rise and your heart rate to increase.
It also makes your blood more likely to clot,
which is especially dangerous if your arteries are narrowed by cholesterol-laden plaque.
After you experience an angry outburst, your chances of experiencing a heart attack,
stroke, or chest pain slightly increase for the next two hours.
Keep your anger in check and don't react in the moment.
Communicate calmly instead of expressing your anger loudly or violently.
Skipping Annual physicals:
An annual physical exam is an important part of staying healthy.
In addition, you should also get bloodwork done each year.
That allows your doctor to better understand your numbers when you're well.
With a baseline, your doctor can identify red flags that your body isn't feeling its best.
If the doctors know you when you're well,
they're going to be ready to provide the best care when you're sick.
And this may be able to prevent some illness altogether.
Having your blood work on file can help your doctor quickly
and accurately identify a problem with your heart.
While avoiding these habits can give you a healthy heart, it is very important to
recognize signs of an unhealthy heart as well, so that you can take action in time.
Learn more about these signs by:
Watching: Signs Of A Heart Attack Women ALWAYS Ignore
Or
Finding out Signs Of Heart Failure You Should NEVER IGNORE
These 2 videos will definitely help you identify heart trouble
signs beforehand so that you can take preventive action.
So go ahead and pick a video, or watch them both for maximum benefits.
What’s that one everyday bad habit of yours that’s bad for your heart?
Let us know in the comments section below!