How to maintain a healthy family and healthy heart at home

How to maintain a healthy family and healthy heart at home

The health of a golden heart allows you to live and do what you love. One of the most important things to remember is that practising good heart health habits from a young age is proven to go a long way to prevent heart disease. So here are a few tips on how to incorporate more healthy heart habits into your life, especially as you spend more time at home with the family.

Keep a gratitude journal

Gratitude helps reduce stress, which is a huge factor in heart disease. So take the time to focus on what you are thankful for by jotting your thoughts down in a journal.

Practice digital detoxing

Digital detox refers to abstaining from technology such as smartphones, televisions, computers, tablets and social media sites over a certain time period. Doing a digital detox is an opportunity for you to establish a healthier, less stressful work life balance and to focus more on interaction with others.

Eat meals mindfully

Mindful eating means being fully attentive to your food – as you buy, prepare, serve and consume it. Incorporate a mindful diet full of a variety of fruit and vegetables, because this is linked to achieving a healthier heart and lowering the risk of heart disease. The best fats to include in your diet are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (omega-3 and omega-6) fats. You can find these healthier fats in avocados, nuts, fish and sunflower seeds as well as spreads made from these seed oils, like Flora.

Laugh more

When you laugh, your heart rate increases and you take many deep breaths. This means that more oxygenated blood is circulated through your body, improving your vascular function. Improved vascular function and circulation can also help reduce your risk of a heart disease diagnosis.

Get enough sleep

In order to prepare yourself for sleep, end your day with a bath to help you relax and get you in the right frame of mind. Lack of sleep can increase insulin resistance, a risk factor for the development of type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Shortened sleep can increase CRP, or C-reactive protein, which is released with stress and inflammation. If your CRP is high, it’s a risk factor for cardiovascular and heart disease.

Regular physical activity

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, doing regular physical activity reduces your risk of having a heart attack or developing heart disease. An active and healthy lifestyle, which comprises of regular exercise and eating balanced meals, is imperative in the fight against bad cholesterol. Stay motivated by doing physical activity with loved ones for a healthy family, or even with your dog.