Heart diseases are one of the leading causes of death. You cannot change the risk factors like the problem being in the family or age. But with some conscious efforts and healthy lifestyle choices, you can keep heart diseases at bay. The following are some tips to keep your heart healthy.

Say no to smoking:
Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco are one of the main reasons for developing cardiovascular problems. The chemicals in tobacco damage the blood vessels and heart by encouraging the accumulation of plaque in the arteries. This condition leads to narrowing of arteries, which finally causes a heart attack. Similarly, carbon monoxide in cigarette slowly replaces the oxygen in the blood. Your heart works harder to get enough oxygen, which increases the blood pressure and the heartbeat, leading to stroke or heart attack. So the moment you stop smoking, your risk starts diminishing.

Get some physical exercise:
Lack of regular physical exercise will lead to obesity. Some regular exercises like walking two miles a day can reduce your risk of getting a heart attack significantly. If you cannot do all the exercise in one go, break it up into 2 or 3 sessions in a day to meet your target of 30 minutes of walking. Not only walking, but taking stairs, gardening, and housekeeping also count as physical activities. To see great results, increase the intensity and duration of your workout.

Follow a healthy diet:
A healthy diet reduces your risk of heart diseases. The Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet plan are known to be heart-friendly diets. When you include fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet, along with beans, lean meat, low-fat dairy, and fish, they will help your heart stay healthy. Limit your intake of salt and sugar and keep the intake of saturated fat in your food to 5% of your total daily calories. Consume alcohol in moderate quantities only.
In addition, eating fiber-rich food or taking fiber supplements helps lower the bad LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Similarly, regular intake of vitamin supplements keeps your heart healthy and away from cardiovascular diseases. Some of the best vitamins for heart health include Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Omega-3.

Keep high blood pressure in control:
At least 50 million Americans suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure. It is also the most common factor that increases the risk of heart diseases. Avoiding too much salt in the food, eating healthy, and doing regular exercise will keep the blood pressure under control.

When you follow a healthy lifestyle, you keep stress at bay. Eating a healthy diet and taking pills regularly will keep your heart functioning normally for a long time.