How to Know If You Are Really Protecting Your Heart
If you are concerned about heart health, then it is likely that you eat a healthy, low-sodium diet.
In addition, you may exercise daily, avoid trans fats and try to eat minimal amounts of processed foods.
You probably also watch your cholesterol and your blood pressure.
These are all very responsible things to do, but you may be overlooking a very simple step that could make a major difference when it comes to your cardiac health.
Ask yourself these three questions to determine if you are actually taking as good a care of your heart as you thought: 1.
Are you preparing your meals in a heart-friendly way? While eating leafy vegetables and lean meats is a good way to keep your diet heart-healthy, if you prepare those veggies and meats in the wrong types of sauces or by buttering them up and frying them in oil, then you may not actually be doing your heart much good at all.
For example, while you may realize that fried chicken is not in your best interests, did you know that a hearty portion of asparagus dripping in butter could be just as bad? Often we overlook the ways that we make our "healthy" foods more palatable because we are focused on the fact that we are eating well.
In fact, in many cases sugary or salty sauces can completely undermine an otherwise healthy dish.
2.
Does your exercise level match your diet? When it comes to diet and exercise, you need to burn as many calories as you consume in order to maintain a healthy weight, and more calories than you consume if you are trying to lose weight.
Many people think that simply exercising is sufficient to keep them in cardiovascular health.
While some exercise is definitely better than none, in order to really stay healthy you need to match your activity level with your calorie level.
For example, if you consume 2500 calories a day, a 20-minute walk in the evenings is not ultimately going to keep your heart as healthy as a 45- or 60-minute bike ride will.
3.
Are you getting enough omega 3 fatty acids? The American Heart Association recommends that you eat two servings of fatty fish like salmon that contain good fish oil twice a week to increase the volume of omega 3 fatty acids in your diet.
Omega 3 has been shown to play a major role in heart health.
However, other studies show that you might need as much as 2 pounds a day or salmon, which is not only impractical but could be a major strain on your wallet and your palate.
Instead of overdosing on fish (and smelling funny in the bargain) consider a simple daily omega 3 supplement.
The best supplements have been molecularly differentiated so that you are only getting the best forms of omega 3.
Learn more about how to pick the safest and most effective omega 3 supplement for your heart health as well as the fish oil health benefits at http://www.
omega-3.
us.
In addition, you may exercise daily, avoid trans fats and try to eat minimal amounts of processed foods.
You probably also watch your cholesterol and your blood pressure.
These are all very responsible things to do, but you may be overlooking a very simple step that could make a major difference when it comes to your cardiac health.
Ask yourself these three questions to determine if you are actually taking as good a care of your heart as you thought: 1.
Are you preparing your meals in a heart-friendly way? While eating leafy vegetables and lean meats is a good way to keep your diet heart-healthy, if you prepare those veggies and meats in the wrong types of sauces or by buttering them up and frying them in oil, then you may not actually be doing your heart much good at all.
For example, while you may realize that fried chicken is not in your best interests, did you know that a hearty portion of asparagus dripping in butter could be just as bad? Often we overlook the ways that we make our "healthy" foods more palatable because we are focused on the fact that we are eating well.
In fact, in many cases sugary or salty sauces can completely undermine an otherwise healthy dish.
2.
Does your exercise level match your diet? When it comes to diet and exercise, you need to burn as many calories as you consume in order to maintain a healthy weight, and more calories than you consume if you are trying to lose weight.
Many people think that simply exercising is sufficient to keep them in cardiovascular health.
While some exercise is definitely better than none, in order to really stay healthy you need to match your activity level with your calorie level.
For example, if you consume 2500 calories a day, a 20-minute walk in the evenings is not ultimately going to keep your heart as healthy as a 45- or 60-minute bike ride will.
3.
Are you getting enough omega 3 fatty acids? The American Heart Association recommends that you eat two servings of fatty fish like salmon that contain good fish oil twice a week to increase the volume of omega 3 fatty acids in your diet.
Omega 3 has been shown to play a major role in heart health.
However, other studies show that you might need as much as 2 pounds a day or salmon, which is not only impractical but could be a major strain on your wallet and your palate.
Instead of overdosing on fish (and smelling funny in the bargain) consider a simple daily omega 3 supplement.
The best supplements have been molecularly differentiated so that you are only getting the best forms of omega 3.
Learn more about how to pick the safest and most effective omega 3 supplement for your heart health as well as the fish oil health benefits at http://www.
omega-3.
us.
