A heart attack is one of the most traumatic things a person can experience. Survivors should consider themselves fortunate, but once you’ve had a cardiac episode, the chances of having a second are higher, which is why assisted living in Mandeville, LA employs the following life style changes to prevent it.
Change Your Diet
Eating the wrong food is a major contributor to heart attacks. Community caretakers can help you monitor daily caloric intake to determine how much is needed to maintain a healthy weight. In general, you want to avoid foods which are rich in calories and low in nutrients, which includes sweets, sodium rich food and meats which are full of trans-fat and saturated fat. You should also cut back on the consumption of sugary beverages. Instead, you want to increase your intake of heart healthy foods like berries, green vegetables, fish, whole grains and almonds, walnuts or seeds.
Control Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
The reason why high blood pressure and cholesterol are problematic is because they place extra stress on the blood vessels and heart. But retirees that regularly engage in physical fitness, consume a diet low in sodium and keep their weight under control will successfully manage both.
Some physicians might also provide beta blockers to better control blood pressure, and statins can be used to reduce one’s low density lipoprotein which is a fancy word for the bad cholesterol which boosts the chances of developing heart disease.
Exercise
While most people know exercise is important, few actually do it regularly. While this isn’t a problem for people who are in their twenties, thirties and even forties, after fifty a lack of physical fitness will take its toll on the human body, leading to conditions such as cardiovascular disorder.
The longer you wait to begin exercising, the harder it will be, so you want to begin engaging in cardiovascular exercises which are specifically designed to strengthen the heart. Additionally, such activities will reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure levels while also alleviating stress.
The American Heart Association advises everyone to exercise a minimum of one hundred and fifty minutes each week, which can include things such as bicycling, walking, swimming or running. Even moving around the home doing household chores is a simple way to improve cardio health, but be sure to speak with your doctor first before engaging in vigorous activities.
Prioritize Your Mental Health
Exercising the body will do you no good if you don’t include the mind. This is especially true in the aftermath of a heart attack, because survivors will often have feelings of anxiety or depression, which can make it challenging to develop good habits which will enhance health.
Lose Weight
Research suggests that a substantial portion of the U.S. population is overweight or obese. This can become a hazardous problem as one age, because carrying around additional weight forces the heart to function harder than necessary, which greatly increases the likelihood of heart problems. Exercising regularly and making changes to your diet is the best way to shed the pounds.
