From Men’s Health
Attention, men. Below are ten habits that Men’s Health says will strengthen your heart. Try to adopt at least 3 right away, then see how many others you can work into your life.
- Drink Five 8 oz. Glasses of Water a Day. Men who do are 54 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drink two or fewer. Experts say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.
- Convince Your Partner to Stop Smoking. Breathing secondhand smoke boosts bad cholesterol levels, decreases good cholesterol, and increases your blood’s tendency to clot.
- Work Out for 30 Minutes, Four Times a Week. Middle-aged men who get this much physical activity have a 60 percent less risk of heart attack than inactive men.
- Lose 10 to 20 Pounds. If you’re overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack. Overweight people have heart attacks 8.2 years earlier than normal-weight victims.
- Drink more Tea. A recent study found that people who drink three cups of tea a day have half the risk of heart attack of those who don’t drink tea at all. Potent antioxidants, called flavonoids, provide a protective effect. Learn more health benefits of tea.
- Eat Salmon on Saturday, Tuna on Tuesday. What a brilliant plan. Salmon Saturday and Tuna Tuesday. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that eating fish at least twice a week lowers heart-disease risk by more than 30 percent. The magic ingredient? Omega-3 fatty acids.
- Ask Your Doctor About Vitamin E and Aspirin. Men who take both cut the plaque in clogged arteries by more than 80 percent.
- Eat a Cup of Total Corn Flakes for Breakfast. This cereal contains one of the highest concentrations of folate of any cereal. Daily folic acid cuts your risk of cardiovascular disease by 13 percent.
- Count to 10. Creating a 10-second buffer before reacting to a stressful situation may be enough to cool you down, meaning no reaction will be necessary. Men who respond with anger are three times more likely to have heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55. Guys, go back and re-read this one, okay?
- Eat Watermelon. Did you know that watermelon contains about 40 percent more lycopene than is found in raw tomatoes? Plus, a new study shows that your body absorbs it at higher levels due to the melon’s high water content. Half a wedge can boost heart-disease prevention by 30 percent.
Thanks for these suggestions to pass on. Encouraging others to raise self-awareness helps them take responsibility for all of their own choices and gain insight into the consequences before they all pan out.
Liara Covert’s last blog post..Why hearing voices serves you
Great “habits” — and not just for men either! I’m going to make more of an effort to incorporate most of them into MY own life as well!
I especially like your note about tea AND coffee! My sentiments exactly. And the counting to ten rule is always useful for stressful situations… Nothing like blurting out the first thing that comes to mind to make things even more stressful at times… Amazing what counting to ten (and doing some nice deep slow breathing at the same time) can do to relief that stress instead.
And I didn’t know about the lycopene in watermelons, so that’s great info too.
Thanks so much.
Elisabeth
http://www.MyFavoriteSelfHelpStuff.com
Elisabeth Kuhn’s last blog post..Feeling Better Fast: Moving Up the Emotional Scale
Thanks, Elizabeth (I’ve always loved that name!). I was thrilled to learn about the watermelon because not only do I LOVE watermelon but tomatoes give me mouth sores when I eat too many of them. Not fun.
I am grateful for this insight and I’ll do my best to comform to these recommendations.
Joe Hunter
I say go for a healthy and happy heart! Doctors and scientists agree that people who volunteer are more likely to be happier and healthier than people who don’t volunteer. Serving others awakens, energizes and exercises your heart both physically and, most importantly, emotionally. We exercise our minds and muscles, so why not exercise the qualities that come from your heart such as kindness, compassion and joy?
Just wanted to thank you for the thoughts on how words affect us. My younger brother is going through a very rough time and I will implement kinder , gentler words to help heal rather than try to further accountability. God bless. Kelly Jean
Thanks for all the tips!
great post i like all of these tips. and i feel as though they all are manageable i’ll be able to keep up with this list great read.
I need to lower my cholesterol so even though this says for men… I am excited to try this. One resource I have been using to learn more about heart health is theHarmony Heart Group website.