6 Handy, Healthy Ways to Fight Off Heart Disease

The biggest killer of men and women in both the United States and the United Kingdom is heart disease which has earned its somewhat scary reputation. Heart disease seems to be want to be the top dog and the heavy weight champ. It is not self-aware so it does know the statistics and cannot read the charts but nonetheless, heart disease takes its toll on many people in America and England after we reach a certain age.

However, if cardiac problems run in your family, or you’re just concerned about keeping your ticker ticking, it’s worth noting that tackling heart disease might not be as challenging as it sounds. Not only is new medication being produced right now that could help to reduce heart-disease by around one fifth in the coming year, but there are also plenty of handy and natural ways that you can tackle the issue yourself.

To some researchers, although heart disease is undeniably a killer for a large percentage of people across the world, it might also be a highly-preventable disease. In fact, making sure that your heart remains healthy for as long as possible could be as simple as changing your diet, making sure that you get the right amount of exercise every day, and thinking more closely about your lifestyle choices.

Following are some of the simplest ways to fight back against heart disease (that you probably never thought of before).

1. Throw a Kiwi in Your Protein Shake

Kiwi might not be the simplest and most convenient fruit to take with you to the office, or to the gym, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth finding a new way to introduce it to your diet. This furry, and often bizarre fruit has been proven to reduce triglyceride levels by up to fifteen percent when eaten regularly. Triglycerides are the thing that put unnecessary extra stress on your heart muscles!

What’s more, adding a scoop of kiwi to your blender with water and whey powder can reduce stroke-causing clots of platelets by around 18%. Turns out that an apple a day isn’t the only fruit to help keep the doctor away. Kiwis taste better than apples as well.

You may not be able to have a scrumptious kiwi pie like you can an apple pie but so what, kiwis are fantastic alone, with cereal, with a smoothie, and so on.

2. Snack on Chocolate

Need an excuse to indulge in one of the world’s favorite treats? So long as the chocolate bar that you choose has a higher cocoa content than the average grocery-store bar, you should feel free to take a bite. Published studies have proven that eating chocolate two or more times a week should help to reduce your chances of suffering with calcified plaque in your arteries by as much as 32%. If you’re not sure which bar to choose, remember that the purer the cocoa content, the better.

3. Get Drinking

It might not be quite as exciting or relaxing as cracking open a cold beer after a long day at work, but a glass of pomegranate juice with breakfast can be a marvelous way to lower your systolic blood pressure and improve blood flow, according to studies. If you’re still searching for a way to enjoy alcohol in moderation, there is some evidence that a glass of cholesterol-cutting pinot noir in the evening could actually help to lower your heart-related risks. Just make sure you don’t drink the entire bottle yourself.

Just make sure you do not spill any of it. Pomegranate juice is notorious for stains. Pomegranates are delicious by themselves but they are messy. But since they are good it is worth it. Wear a shirt you do not care about and eat them outside.

4. Take Care of Your Joints

If going to the gym has become tougher than usual thanks to creaking knees and aching joints, then you shouldn’t simply ignore the symptoms. The onset of rheumatoid arthritis is more common than you might think, and this condition makes you as much as 60% more likely to suffer from a heart attack. Look for ways to care for your joints wherever possible, including eating oily fish like salmon about two times a week.

5. Get some Fresh Air

Fun in the sun is more than just a prolific way to boost your tan, it’s also a useful method for lengthening your lifespan. If you aim to catch some rays for about twenty minutes every day, then you should benefit from a lower risk of heart disease. Spending time outside helps to reduce the nitric oxide levels in your blood and skin, which decreases your risk of heart disease by around 36%, as well as cutting down your stroke risk. Just be sure that you slather on some SPF before you hit the beach.

6. Stay with Cardio

Finally, make sure that the time you spend at the gym doesn’t neglect working out your most important muscle. When it comes to avoiding the issue of heart disease, getting your heart-rate up during a workout is more important than chiseling your pecs.