Physical activity guidelines for children and young people

To maintain a basic level of health, children and young people aged 5-18 need to do:

• At least 60 minutes (1 hour) of physical activity every day, which should range between moderate-intensity activity, such as cycling and playground activities and vigorous-intensity activity, such as fast running and tennis.
• On three days a week, these activities should involve muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, and bone-strengthening activities, such as running

Children and young people should minimise the amount of time they spend sitting watching TV, playing computer games, and travelling by car when they could walk or cycle instead. Find out why sitting is bad for your health. 

What counts as moderate-intensity activity?
Examples of activities that require moderate effort for most young people include:

• walking to school
• playing in the playground
• riding a scooter
• skateboarding
• rollerblading
• walking the dog
• cycling on level ground or ground with few hills

What counts as vigorous-intensity activity? 

Vigorous-intensity activity is associated with better general health, stronger bones and muscles as well as higher levels of self-esteem. 

Vigorous-intensity activity means you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. 

Examples of activities that require vigorous effort for most young people include:

• playing chase
• energetic dancing
• swimming
• running
• gymnastics
• football
• rugby
• martial arts, such as karate
• cycling fast or on hilly terrain

What counts as bone-strengthening activity? 

Bone-strengthening activities produce an impact or tension force on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength.

Examples of bone-strengthening activities for children include:

• activities that require children to lift their body weight or to work against a resistance
• jumping and climbing activities, combined with the use of playground equipment and toys
• games such as hopscotch
• skipping with a rope
• walking
• running
• gymnastics
• dance
• football
• basketball
• martial art

Read more at kidtas.com

The Best Salad for High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure puts you at risk for developing heart disease as well as other serious health conditions including kidney disease, memory loss, vision impairment, angina and fluid in your lungs. Losing weight, reducing sodium in your diet and adding potassium and fiber can help lower your blood pressure. Salads provide a low-calorie way to enrich your diet with potassium and fiber.

Less Salt, More Potassium and Fiber

The “best” salad for high blood pressure remains subject to your taste preferences, but should include high-potassium and fiber-rich fruits and vegetables such as artichokes, sweet potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, berries, citrus fruits, fruits with edible skins or seeds, baked potatoes with skins attached, nuts and seeds. Avoid prepared dressings that may contain too much sodium or unhealthy fats. Instead of using salt, season your salads with pepper, basil, tarragon, cinnamon, mustard and other spices as well as onion and garlic. Men should include up to 38 g of fiber in their daily diets and women 25 g. All adults should aim to consume 4,700 mg of potassium daily.

Artichoke and Mushroom Salad

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains contain fiber, and many choices contain high amounts of potassium. You could make a salad that mixes artichoke hearts, mushrooms and green beans marinated in a garlic, mustard, olive oil and vinegar dressing. Season with tarragon. Artichokes contain 595 mg of potassium per 1 cup serving. Green beans contain 183 mg of potassium per 1 cup, and mushrooms contain 220 mg of potassium per 1 cup.

Fruit Salad

Make a fruit salad in a yogurt dressing. Non-fat yogurt contains 579 mg of potassium per 1 c. serving. Choose among high-potassium fruits like dates, raisins, canned apricots, banana, blackberries, cantaloupe and papaya. Other fruits with more modest amounts of potassium but high in fiber include raspberries, pear with skin and oranges.

Vegetable and Bean Salads

Sweet potatoes and baked potatoes with skins contain a lot of potassium – 694 mg and 619 respectively. You could make a potato salad using one or both types of potatoes. Add broccoli and carrots. Make a southwestern salad with black beans, corn, avocado and tomato. Kidney, lima, pinto and white beans also contain high amounts of fiber and potassium. A bean salad with chickpeas, celery and onions.

Read more at momega.com.au

Oily fish can help stop blindness as we get older: Omega-3 can stop range of eye conditions caused by damage to the retina by tiny blood vessels

Fish oils could hold the key to saving pensioners’ sight.

Omega-3 fatty acids, abundant in oily fish, help stop tiny blood vessels from bleeding into the back of the eye, experiments show.

The finding is important because damage to retinal blood is behind a range of conditions that can lead to loss of sight, including many cases of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in the elderly.

AMD affects more than 600,000 Britons and the number is expected to treble in the next 25 years as the population ages.  There are few treatments – and no cure – for the condition.

The research, from Harvard Medical School, focused on ‘wet AMD’, the most serious form, in which central vision can be lost within months.

In the study, a diet rich in omega-3 cut damage to the blood vessels in mice with an AMD-like eye disease.

The healthy fats, which are found in mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon, stopped damaging immune cells from fuelling the disease, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports. 

Researcher Dr Kip Connor said the fats seems to have a ‘vital role’ in eye health.

It is not clear if fish oil supplements alone will be enough help save sight in people.  This is because the body may find it harder to process and make use of omega-3 as we age.

However, the findings do point to a drug related to fish oil.

With existing drugs expensive, injected directly into the eye and not effective in all cases, the researchers said that there is an urgent need for new treatments.

Dr Connor said that given the prevalence of AMD and a related form of blindness in diabetics, the ‘potential impact of this study is highly significant’.

Patients with other diseases fed by rogue blood vessels, such as cancer, may also benefit from the knowledge.

Dr Connor added: ‘It is our hope that future studies will allow us to develop specific therapeutics that harness this knowledge, resulting in greater visual outcome and quality of life for patients suffering from these sight-threatening diseases.’

In the meantime, he advises that everyone eat oily fish or take omega-3 supplements for all-round health.

Omega-3 has previously been credited with health benefits form keeping high blood pressure at bay to helping ward of Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more at Kidtas.com

4 ways yoga is good for your heart

Yoga is a great way to stay fit, but new research suggests that regular practice can offer you much more than toned arms and abs. Here’s how hitting the mat can help improve your heart health

1. Yoga helps beat stress

When you encounter a stressful situation, the brain releases adrenaline into your system to help you either fight or flee the threat. This causes your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure increases.  While this response can help you protect yourself when facing a threat, living in a constant state of stress may wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, people who are prone to stress have a higher risk for heart disease than their calmer counterparts.

“What we want is a nervous system that reacts to stressful situations when they happen, but then shifts back to relaxation,” says Dr. Timothy McCall, a San Francisco-based doctor of internal medicine and medical editor of the Yoga Journal. Yoga may help by dampening your body’s reaction to stress. A 2012 article published in the journal Medical Hypotheses suggests yoga could prevent and treat some medical conditions, including cardiac disease, by improving stress-related imbalances in the nervous system

1. Yoga helps beat stress

When you encounter a stressful situation, the brain releases adrenaline into your system to help you either fight or flee the threat. This causes your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure increases.  While this response can help you protect yourself when facing a threat, living in a constant state of stress may wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, people who are prone to stress have a higher risk for heart disease than their calmer counterparts.

“What we want is a nervous system that reacts to stressful situations when they happen, but then shifts back to relaxation,” says Dr. Timothy McCall, a San Francisco-based doctor of internal medicine and medical editor of the Yoga Journal. Yoga may help by dampening your body’s reaction to stress. A 2012 article published in the journal Medical Hypotheses suggests yoga could prevent and treat some medical conditions, including cardiac disease, by improving stress-related imbalances in the nervous system.

3. Yoga may lower blood pressure

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, long-term high blood pressurecan weaken your heart and damage blood vessel walls, causing plaque to build up and potentially narrow or block arteries. This is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

While poor diet and lack of exercise are major risk factors, “we know there’s an element of stress involved in high blood pressure,” says McCall. A 2012 reviewpublished in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice suggests that yoga practice may be an effective treatment for high blood pressure because of its ability to decrease the body’s response to stress.

4. Yoga promotes physical activity

People who are physically inactive are twice as likely to be at risk for heart disease as those who do exercise, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Yoga improves strength and flexibility, which contributes to cardiovascular health, says Stastny.

Research shows that people who do yoga are also more likely to stick with an exercise routine. A 2012 study published in the journal Alternative Therapy Health Medicine enrolled previously inactive people in twice-weekly yoga classes for 10 weeks. Researchers found that doing the classes significantly increased the likelihood that the participants would continue to take part in physical activity.

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Brain Food for a 3 Year Old Boy

Your 3-year old son’s brain is in a constant state of activity. His brain is responsible for each function of his body, as well as how he thinks, feels and learns. Feeding your son the right foods can help support his brain development and can help ensure that it works as efficiently as possible. Include some of these foods in your next menu, and your son’s brain will reap cognitive and memory benefits.

Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit offers a wealth of important vitamins and minerals that your son needs for his growing brain. Nicola Graimes notes in her book, “Brain Food for Kids,” that your son needs carbohydrates in his diet because they help produce the glucose he needs for brain energy and function. Serve a sliced banana with your son’s morning breakfast cereal or oatmeal, or slice an apple and serve it with his lunch. Halved grapes, sliced peaches or a bowl of berries are additional ways to increase his fruit intake and benefit his brain function.

Protein Foods

Your 3-year-old son needs a diet rich in protein from low-fat and nutritious sources in order to sustain proper brain growth and development. Protein is essential for the function of your son’s brain because it is responsible for creating the neurotransmitters that send messages throughout his body. Lean meats, such as beef or white meat chicken, are nutritious sources of protein, as are fish like trout and salmon. Fish is particularly beneficial because it contains omega-3 fatty acids that support brain development. Beans, nuts, eggs and dairy foods are additional sources of protein that will help sustain healthy brain development. Chop beans and nuts into small pieces to prevent choking.

Healthy Fats

Some fat is an essential part of your 3-year old son’s diet. Graimes notes that your son’s brain is 60 percent fat, which he needs to get from his diet to keep it in good working order. It is important to feed him the right kinds of fat. Saturated fats, found in meats, full-fat dairy and many packaged foods, do more harm than good and should be limited in your son’s diet. Foods with unsaturated fat, such as avocado, olive oil, fish and peanut butter are more nutritious ways to provide him with the fat his brain needs.

Whole Grains

Including whole grains in your 3-year-old son’s diet is a healthy way to ensure that he gets plenty of fiber, but whole grains also contain several vitamins and minerals that support brain function and health. One of the most notable is iron, which is present in many fortified whole grains like breakfast cereal and some pasta. Getting enough iron will help your son’s brain get the oxygen it needs so he can concentrate and learn. Whole grains also contain B vitamins, which your son’s brain needs for the health of neurotransmitters that regulate attention, focus and learning.

Read more at Kidtas.com

High blood cholesterol can reduce fertility

According to a recent study by the US Institute of Health, the University of Buffalo (New York) and Emory University in Atlanta have shown that high cholesterol may reduce the likelihood of pregnancy of the couple.

When compared with the proportion of couples with at allowing blood fats, to couples where both spouses have high blood fat ratio will take a long time to get pregnant. Also, the couple that only the wife can rate high cholesterol also takes a longer time to pregnancy. The findings have been published in the international journal Metabolic and Endocrine Clinical (the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism).

High cholesterol often do not have any signs or symptoms of cognitive, but may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.



The study was performed on couples who are trying to have children, but not cure infertility cases. Had 501 couples participated in the study from 2005-2009. The pair was examined links between fertility and exposure to environmental chemicals and lifestyle. Women participated in the study aged 18-44, men are over 18. The next pair is monitored during pregnancy or up to one year of trying.

The study participants provided blood samples so the researchers checked blood cholesterol. The researchers came up with the theory that cholesterol can affect fertility because the body uses cholesterol to produce hormones like testosterone and estrogen sex.

Dr. Schisterman gave final conclusion: high blood fats increase the risk not only of heart disease but also reduce the risk of pregnancy of the couple.


The food in cleansing the arteries and reduce blood fat

Lowering cholesterol without medication

Phthalates -- chemicals widely found in plastics and processed food -- linked to elevated blood pressure in children and teens

Plastic additives known as phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are odorless, colorless and just about everywhere: They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach balls, plastic wrap, intravenous tubing and – according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the bodies of most Americans. Once perceived as harmless, phthalates have come under increasing scrutiny. A growing collection of evidence suggests dietary exposure to phthalates (which can leech from packaging and mix with food) may cause significant metabolic and hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development.

Now, new research published this Wednesday in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain types of phthalates could pose another risk to children: compromised heart health. Drawing on data from a nationally representative survey of nearly 3,000 children and teens, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington and Penn State University School of Medicine, have documented for the first time a connection between dietary exposure to DEHP (di-2-ethyhexylphthalate), a common class of phthalate widely used in industrial food production, and elevated systolic blood pressure, a measure of pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.

“Phthalates can inhibit the function of cardiac cells and cause oxidative stress that compromises the health of arteries. But no one has explored the relationship between phthalate exposure and heart health in children” says lead author Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, associate professor of pediatrics, environmental medicine and population health at NYU Langone Medical Center. “We wanted to examine the link between phthalates and childhood blood pressure in particular given the increase in elevated blood pressure in children and the increasing evidence implicating exposure to environmental exposures in early development of disease.”

Hypertension is clinically defined as a systolic blood-pressure reading above 140 mm Hg. It’s most common in people over 50 years old, although the condition is becoming increasingly prevalent among children owing to the global obesity epidemic. Recent national surveys indicate that 14 percent of American adolescents now have pre-hypertension or hypertension. “Obesity is driving the trend but our findings suggest that environmental factors may also be a part of the problem,” says Dr. Trasande. “This is important because phthalate exposure can be controlled through regulatory and behavioral interventions.”

Researchers from NYU School of Medicine, the University of Washington and Penn State University School of Medicine examined six years of data from a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population administered by the National Centers for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Phthalates were measured in urine samples using standard analysis techniques. Controlling for a number of potential confounders, including race, socioeconomic status, body mass index, caloric intake and activity levels, the researchers found that every three-fold increase in the level of breakdown products of DEHP in urine correlated with a roughly one-millimeter mercury increase in a child’s blood pressure. “That increment may seem very modest at an individual level, but on a population level such shifts in blood pressure can increase the number of children with elevated blood pressure substantially,” says Dr. Trasande. “Our study underscores the need for policy initiatives that limit exposure to disruptive environmental chemicals, in combination with dietary and behavioral interventions geared toward protecting cardiovascular health.”

This research was made possible through the generous support of KiDs of NYU Langone, an organization of parents, physicians, and friends that supports children’s health services at New York University Langone Medical Center through philanthropy, community service, and advocacy.

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8 foods that help lower blood pressure

These kinds of products are in the following list will help you most effectively reduce blood pressure.

Low-fat milk

Drink low-fat milk good for your heart will give you calcium and vitamin D - two nutrients when combined together will help reduce blood pressure from 3-10%. Still sounds not much but it can help reduce the risk of heart disease up to 15% of you.

 Spinach

Spinach contains fewer calories but is very rich in fiber and nutrients good for the heart as potassium, folate, and magnesium - essential ingredients help reduce and maintain blood pressure. Use spinach for a salad dressing that way you can enjoy the benefits of this wonderful vegetable.



 Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are also a great source of magnesium. Only 30 grams of sunflower seeds, you have a right to their very nutritious snacks. However, you should not eat salted roasted sunflower seeds if you want to minimize the amount of sodium in your daily menu.

Beans

Black beans, white beans, navy beans, speckled beans, peas and beans are rich defense soluble fiber, magnesium and potassium. These are nutrients help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health in general.

Baked white potato

Baked white potatoes are rich in magnesium and potassium, two nutrients essential for cardiovascular health. When potassium deficiency, the body will retain much sodium causes high blood pressure. Besides, eating potassium-rich foods, the body can excrete excess sodium intake more effectively. Similarly potassium, magnesium also plays an important role in maintaining blood pressure.

 Bananas

Bananas are a good source of potassium is extremely abundant, so it is seen as a very good snack for your heart. Add banana at breakfast or snack around. You can also freeze the bananas to make themselves a real ice cream is delicious and nutritious.

Soy bean

Soy is also a source of potassium and magnesium are excellent. Peel boiled soy is a very healthy snack.

Dark chocolate

According to a study by the American Medical Association, approximately 30 calories eating dark chocolate every day can help lower blood pressure after 18 weeks without weight gain or cause side effects. Please choose dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. However, chocolate contains a lot of calories, so you should be careful not to eat too much.


The Internet is making your child has high blood pressure?

7 foods good for high blood pressure

8 foods that help lower blood pressure

These kinds of products are in the following list will help you most effectively reduce blood pressure.

Low-fat milk

Drink low-fat milk good for your heart will give you calcium and vitamin D - two nutrients when combined together will help reduce blood pressure from 3-10%. Still sounds not much but it can help reduce the risk of heart disease up to 15% of you.

 Spinach

Spinach contains fewer calories but is very rich in fiber and nutrients good for the heart as potassium, folate, and magnesium - essential ingredients help reduce and maintain blood pressure. Use spinach for a salad dressing that way you can enjoy the benefits of this wonderful vegetable.



 Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are also a great source of magnesium. Only 30 grams of sunflower seeds, you have a right to their very nutritious snacks. However, you should not eat salted roasted sunflower seeds if you want to minimize the amount of sodium in your daily menu.

Beans

Black beans, white beans, navy beans, speckled beans, peas and beans are rich defense soluble fiber, magnesium and potassium. These are nutrients help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health in general.

Baked white potato

Baked white potatoes are rich in magnesium and potassium, two nutrients essential for cardiovascular health. When potassium deficiency, the body will retain much sodium causes high blood pressure. Besides, eating potassium-rich foods, the body can excrete excess sodium intake more effectively. Similarly potassium, magnesium also plays an important role in maintaining blood pressure.

 Bananas

Bananas are a good source of potassium is extremely abundant, so it is seen as a very good snack for your heart. Add banana at breakfast or snack around. You can also freeze the bananas to make themselves a real ice cream is delicious and nutritious.

Soy bean

Soy is also a source of potassium and magnesium are excellent. Peel boiled soy is a very healthy snack.

Dark chocolate

According to a study by the American Medical Association, approximately 30 calories eating dark chocolate every day can help lower blood pressure after 18 weeks without weight gain or cause side effects. Please choose dark chocolate containing at least 70% cocoa. However, chocolate contains a lot of calories, so you should be careful not to eat too much.


The Internet is making your child has high blood pressure?

7 foods good for high blood pressure

15 tips to reduce blood fat naturally

There are many factors causing myocardial infarction or stroke (stroke). Genes and gender play an important factor but for us the food is the most important factor. Here are 15 tips to eat healthy can help you in the "war" against high cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

- Eat less meat: Instead of eating meat as a main course, please "padded" some meat in your diet. Cut off fat and skin from meat and poultry. Avoid fat from beef, pork, lamb. Instead, lean meats, fish or skinless white meat poultry. When eating out, choose a small portion of meat, vegetarian or fish dishes.

- Choosing low-fat milks. Avoid dairy products containing milk or cream, and instead should use foods low fat or no fat.

- Be careful with the snacks. Choose low-fat snacks (popcorn, carrots, dried fruit or fresh fruit) instead of potato chips, candy. Avoid storage of ready products, unless they have less saturated fat or no trans fat.

- Reduce saturated fats in cooking. Use liquid cooking oils instead of butter or margarine. Use non-stick pans. Instead of frying, you baked, steamed or stewed foods.



- Avoid palm oil and coconut oil. Most vegetable oils are unsaturated but palm oil and coconut oil mainly contains saturated fat. Oil wealth should choose flowers, sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean, olive and peanut oils.

- Reduce cholesterol. Try to eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol each day. Do not eat more than 4 egg yolks per week, only 2 egg yolks can be substituted for whole eggs in recipes. Eat no more than 200g of lean meat, fish, poultry. Avoid cholesterol rich foods such as liver, brain and kidney.

- Increase the amount of carbohydrates and fiber. The fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and legumes (dried beans and peas) have fewer calories and more fiber. Eat plenty of soluble fiber such as oats and local fruits. This type of fiber can significantly reduce levels of fat color when combined with dietary fat.

- Eat fruits and vegetables to protect your heart.
Moderate eating nuts. The nuts have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The grains are more healthful protein but contains many calories, eating more can cause weight gain.

- Adding fish to your diet. These countries consume more fish have a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Like nuts, fish oil containing omega-3 and omega-6. Because our bodies can not produce these nutrients, we must eat foods that contain them to promote health, which includes the improvement of blood lipid levels.

- Reducing salt. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Much salt diet will increase the risk of hypertension.

- Avoid trans fats. Trans fat raises bad LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol decrease. You should avoid eating or eat less of the foods that Land on the label "hydrogenated vegetable oil part" - these products contain a lot of trans fat.

- Drink alcohol in moderation. Moderate drinking may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, however, if taken many would deny benefits. Women who drank less than one cup and men should drink 1-2 glasses per day.

- Read labels carefully. Avoid processed foods with the following materials topped ingredients: meat fat, coconut oil or palm oil, cream, butter, egg yolks or whites cooked, whole milk, lard, cocoa butter , chocolate, fats or partially hydrogenated oil.

- Change strategy. If within 3 months of healthy eating does not reduce blood fat and bad LDL cholesterol, you should consult your doctor and dietitian. If these indicators remain unchanged after 6 months, then you can consider the use of adjuvants.

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8 Ingredients To A Healthy Heart

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                While it’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetic component of creating a good workout and nutritional program, you really must not overlook the importance of exercise and healthy eating when it comes to maintaining good health. Even more important is ensuring you have a healthy heart because cardiovascular disease is rising at an increasing pace.

While there are certain factors you simply cannot control, such as a genetic predisposition to heart disease, there are some you can and should control. The sooner you start taking measures to prevent heart disease, the better you’ll fair later in life.

That being said, here are the top ingredients you need to keep your ticker working the way it should, as we take a look at the eight ingredients to a healthy heart.

1- Cut back on red meat

If you are a big red meat eater, you may want to rethink your choices. While some

red meat

in your diet is beneficial to ensure you are getting enough iron and protein, limit yourself to consuming it two or three times a week, and make sure when you do eat it you only eat lean sources.

For the remaining days, get your protein from sources like fish (especially fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids), poultry, beans, and low-fat dairy products.

2- Up your consumption of dark-colored fruits and vegetables It cannot be stated enough: 

A diet that is loaded with fruits and vegetables is going to be your single best protection when it comes to fighting off disease.

When making your selections, always go for the ones that are deepest in color as they will most often contain the higher concentration of antioxidants, which are critical in preventing cancer.

3- Control your insulin levels 

One of the best ways to prevent large spikes in insulin levels followed by rapid crashes is to omit all the “white” grain-type of foods from your diet. Rather, focus on products that come straight from the ground and are the least processed as possible. Potatoes, dry oats, brown rice, and quinoa sprouts are all better choices than white bread, pasta and dry, cold cereal.

4- Make your own meals

 Rather than relying on eating out all the time or purchasing ready-to-eat meals, do your own home cooking. This allows you to really control what goes into your dishes so you can be sure you are using nothing but the best ingredients.

Furthermore, consider avoiding store-bought salad dressings as these are often very high in saturated fat and calories. Instead, make your own by combining heart-healthy olive oil with your choice of balsamic vinegar, a small amount of wine, soy sauce and any variety of spices you prefer. Spices are another thing to watch out for to maintain an healthy heart as often these contain a high salt content. Try out some of the salt replacement spices that are out on the market today like Mrs. Dash, for example.

These ingredients to a healthy heart will keep you in top-notch health…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        5- Up your soluble fiber content 

If you take the step in point three you should already be increasing your soluble fiber content, but make sure you make an even further concentrated effort to do so. Beans are a terrific source of soluble fiber, as is oat bran, barley and non-sweetened oatmeal.

Do take note, though, that you should avoid using processed fiber, especially if you have traditionally been eating a low-fiber diet for a long period of time. These are not the healthiest products to be putting in your body in comparison to real food, so try your best to get your fiber from natural sources. These natural sources will also provide you with so many other nutrients that you would be missing out on if you chose to take a processed fiber. 

6- Reduce your cheese intake

 One major culprit when it comes to the rising increase in saturated fat intake is cheese. Unfortunately, unless you are consuming low-fat cheese products, this dietary choice is not going to work with you in your effort to help reduce heart disease. With today’s increase in restaurant eating and the fact that many meals come with cheese either baked into the dish or sprinkled on top, consumption is increasing. Try as hard as you can to eliminate cheese from your diet. While it is a good source of protein and calcium, there are many other heart-healthy methods that meet these requirements with more nutritionally smart options.

7- Drink in moderation

 While you don’t necessarily have to remove alcohol from your diet to protect yourself against heart disease, you definitely do need to keep it within moderation. Those who drink in moderation actually tend to show decreased rates of heart disease, especially when wine is the beverage of choice. Moderation here would be classified as one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.

Also, keep an eye out for your caffeine consumption, as too much of this can also be problematic for your heart. Since caffeine does act as a central nervous system stimulant, it will put additional stress on the heart.

8- Do intense exercise

 On the exercise side of things, being in good cardiovascular shape plays a large role in helping to ward off heart disease and maintaining a healthy heart. When it comes to this cardiovascular conditioning, however, you will reap the most benefits from intense short-duration physical activities, such as running sprints.

A good way to tell how at risk you are is to perform an intense activity, slow down and see how long it takes for your heart to return to normal. The longer it takes, the greater your risk (as this is associated with not being in good shape).
 
The more often you sprint, the better your body will adjust to returning to its baseline heart rate after the exercise. Aim to perform 20- to 30-second bursts with 1- to 2-minute rest periods in between, repeated 6 to 12 times at least twice a week.
If you are not currently in the shape to do such a workout, work on building your cardiovascular base through more moderate sessions first, then promptly move to this when you are ready.

keeping a healthy heart

Keep these eight factors for a healthy heart in mind as you go about your day. Your lifestyle choices really do affect your overall health, both now and in the long-term, so being smart and thinking things through health-wise really does pay off in the end. 

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