Category Archives: Heart Health

salt free healthy diet

Health Benefits of Dieting without Salt

Salt is one of the essential ingredients for cooking food. The chemical composition of salt is NaCl, which means it comprises of sodium and chloride. As we know salt is a very common ingredient in food but in the quantities found in most foods we eat today, it isn’t healthy. In fact, it leads to diseases such as heart diseases, blood pressure and many more.

You might be thinking if salt is dangerous for health then what shall we do? Don’t worry, you can always rely on low-sodium diets. Why low-sodium foods? Because recent researches showed that low sodium intake can improvise your health conditions.

Fewer chances of kidney disease

A research was carried out in CKD (chronic kidney disease). It was observed that intake of low sodium resulted in significantly reduced chances of high blood pressure as well as of protein in the urine.

If you are eating a lot of salty products then this will result in high blood pressure. Now how is high blood pressure related to kidney disease? It is simple, that high blood pressure will damage your kidneys.

The National Kidney Foundation took an amazing step. They recommended all people, suffering from CKD, to limit the sodium intake up to 2 grams (i.e. 2,000 mg) per day.

Lower risk of blood pressure

If you are eating too much salt then it will increase the risk of high blood pressure. The reason is that sodium reacts with your blood. The blood then behaves in such a way which triggers the heart to pump fast.

Recently research was conducted in which patients were given less or no sodium foods. The results concluded that more than 3,000 people showed positive results.

Nonetheless, it’s recommended to have zero sodium diet.

Reduce the risk of heart disease

Last but not least, less sodium intake can decrease the risk of heart disease. Heart disease can lead to kidney disease and water retention.

A review of studies showed that people who eat less or no salt products are more likely to have a healthy heart.

If you want to try out a new healthy diet, think about the amount of sodium you can reduce. Your body will thank you.

heart health

Heart Attack Recovery: Foods to Eat and Avoid

After surviving from a heart attack, the first though that comes in mind is to change the lifestyle. Healthy eating, exercise and stress-free routine are the basic needs of a post heart attack person. But usually people don’t know how to customize their meal plan. Here we are mentioning some of the foods to eat and avoid after a heart attack.

  1. 1.) Avoid foods fried in saturated fats. As an alternative you can use stir fried foods in unsaturated fats like vegetable oil or nuts oil
  2. 2.) Do not eat processed meat such as hot dogs and sausages. Instead of these you can use chicken or turkey meat.
  3. 3.) Stay away from desserts and sweets containing milk chocolate and sugar. For chocolate items you can use dark chocolate which contains more antioxidants good for you health.
  4. 4.) Say no to baked items such as cakes and pastries containing white sugar and plain flour. As an alternative you can bake food for yourself containing natural sugar and whole grains.
  5. 5.) Do not use salad dressings, cream sauces and ketchup that contain sugar and saturated fatty acids. Instead you can make your own homemade ketchup and dressings without sugar and high fat dairy products.
  6. 6.) Avoid salted nuts and snacks. You can opt for unsalted ones in limited quantity.
  7. 7.) Cut back on sugary soda and fizzy drinks. As a replacement you can add fruits to your water or drink fresh homemade juices without sugar and preservatives. Reduce your intake of coffee, tea and alcohol and drink more water daily.
  8. 8.) Avoid take-aways like pizza, hamburgers, chips, fried potatoes, pasta and noodles etc. Replace fatty red meat with the lean meat or white meat in your food.
  9. 9.) Avoid processed foods. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits daily and go for wholegrain cereals, breads, rice and pasta etc.
  10. 10.) Include legumes, egg and fish in your food and replace them with high fat dairy products.

Making heart-healthy changes to lifestyle can help you live strong and vibrant for many years without the thought of having another heart attack. Taking care of yourself after a heart attack is very important. Eating right, avoiding stress and daily exercises and basic lifestyle modifications that can help you a great deal in this regard.

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Why Cardiologists Used to Prescribe Mindfulness For Healthy Heart?

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and part of this is down to blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A large part of the US population is currently suffering from these conditions and natural deaths (excluding accidents, homicides, etc.) mostly come from heart disease.

There are plenty of different medications that help control some of these factors, but they can’t do much if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle.

On top of that, stress is a large part of life, mainly stemming from the fact that work nowadays isn’t as relaxing as before. In truth, you will oftentimes have to work overtime and encounter problems that will increase your blood pressure.

You can take medication, or you can search for alternatives. One of these alternatives is related to mindfulness and self-preservation. Cardiologists in the old days used to ‘prescribe’ this as a cure for heart diseases, as in, being mindful to keep a healthy heart. Additionally, we think that being prepared for everything and knowing what to do if an issue arises is essential, which is why we recommend enrolling in a CPR online course.

Let’s take a look at why mindfulness can still be an essential factor in keeping your heart healthy!

It Will Help You Control Stress and Anxiety

We talked about stress a bit earlier, and it’s true that you can’t live without it completely. Even the calmest people in the world can suffer the consequences of stress. Now, mindfulness is very handy here because it will allow you to control the stress you might be feeling.

Anxiety also plays a big role in how you go through life and experience it, and people with anxiety usually have certain problems that prevent them from shining. Being mindful can help you get rid of anxiety and live your life to the fullest!

It Will Help You Control Unwanted Thoughts

Sometimes, things seem so bleak that you can’t help yourself thinking negative and bad thoughts. When this happens, people usually lose interest in what they’re doing, and they become unhappy.

To prevent yourself from having unwanted thoughts (and to get rid of them if you have them now), you’ll need to practice mindfulness. There are plenty of resources online that should help you figure this one out.

You Will Feel Fresh

Waking up in the morning can be tough, especially if you aren’t feeling well. This shows on your face and how you look throughout the day, meaning that you won’t exactly be feeling very fresh or interested. So, the conclusion here is that whatever negativity exists in your life, you won’t look good.

This can also influence how you’re feeling, so make sure you’re looking fresh and happy with mindfulness!

You Will Start Enjoying your Work

Even if you’re working your dream job, it can get quite boring and tedious, thus causing you not to enjoy the work you’re doing. If this happens, it can get difficult getting back on track. I know this from personal example as well; some days are just like that.

But, there is a way to combat this issue. So, again, we’re talking about mindfulness. Understanding everything that’s happening around you and figuring out that you can’t change everything is important. If you can’t influence something, why lose sleep or get angry about it?

It will Improve your Blood Circulation

Stress can cause issues with your heart that aren’t easy to get rid of. Some people turn to cigarettes as a method of relaxing themselves, but this is extremely unhealthy. The healthier alternative is just to let yourself enjoy the moment.

The reason mindfulness is so healthy is that there are so many things that it influences positively. In this case, blood circulation gets better the more you understand this point. The better the circulation, the healthier you’ll be, and the more oxygen will reach your body, organs, etc.

It Will Improve Fatigue

Sitting down to relax after a tough day of work and just thinking everything through will refresh you and let you enjoy the rest of the day correctly. Fatigue can happen and worsen the more extended and tougher your days at work are. Unfortunately, you’ll have to start changing your lifestyle quite drastically if you want to feel energized all the time.

But, if you want to take it slow and slowly, make it better, start improving your mindfulness. Due to it being able to help you calm down, mindfulness can enhance fatigue because you’ll be getting your energy back. Again, there are a couple of alternatives to this, but because mindfulness is so important and healthy, you don’t need a lot more than just this.

It Will Keep you Fit and Happy

So, heart disease. It can appear out of nowhere, but the most common cause is being overweight. People often lose their color when they start gaining weight, but as soon as this happens, the road back is difficult and paved with obstacles. It takes a lot of dedication and motivation to turn around and start living healthier, so it’s completely understandable that people take a lot of time to do it.

On the other hand, if you know what the cause is and know what you want in life, you won’t have any issues with being overweight (because, well, it won’t happen). Due to this, mindfulness is considered a very effective method of keeping you fit and happy.

It Will Help Prevent Arrhythmia in High-Risk Adults

High-risk adults (most of which are elders) experience dangerous heart arrhythmia that can cause trouble unexpectedly. There is medication for this, but those that aren’t interested in taking medication can start relaxing and practicing mindfulness. It will calm you down and lower the chance of an arrhythmia happening (because you’re being calm and your heart isn’t struggling).