A study says, heart is the strongest and the weakest organ in the body. They say it as the strongest organ because it performs most of the vital function in our body and on the other hand it is said to be the weakest organ because it can take pressure moderately and excessive pressure may bring along a lot of health complication and disorders.

In order to take proper care of your heart it is advisable for you to avoid certain this that pressurize your cardiovascular system, in that way making it weaker and susceptible to diseases or even failure. There are many big and small, bad and good habits that are not good for our heart and we must try to avoid them from our daily routine.

Eat enough fruits and vegetables – Fruits and vegetable are essential building blocks that needs to be added in your too our diet. According to a research study taking more that 5 serving of fruits and vegetable lowers the risk of stroke.

Excessive intake of salt – Although salt is an important component but it is required in a minimal amount. Excessive intake of salt may cause various health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, etc.

Excessive consumption of alcohol – Consumption of alcohol in moderate amount may not prove to be fatal for your health. But excessive intake of it can lead to cause diseases such as increased risk of a stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure, etc.

Sleep disorder – Too much sleep or too little sleep both are equally dangerous for your cardiovascular health. Various sleep disorder such as Insomnia (lack of sleep) leads to depression and anxiety, which further leads you to suffer from high blood pressure.

Ignoring snoring – Apart from mere irritation snoring can become a serious health disorder associate with your sleeping pattern. This may put pressure on the heart and further more increase the risk of heart disease.

Excessive anger – Anger is sometime a moderate way to release stress and tension during mental pressure. But frequent explosion of anger may lead to increase the risk of various heart diseases.

Avoiding depression symptoms – Every person faces ups and downs in life and faces emotional breakdown in life. However, it is extremely important how we are handling this situation. A research study has found out that depression has indirect contributed into various heart diseases.

Weekend warrior syndrome – This is a condition when a person realizes that he does not have time for himself. Therefore, the only solution for them is that they find out time for themselves, exercise, relax and spend quality time with family and friends.

Other daily habit that may lead damage your cardiovascular health are; overindulgence, eating empty calories, withdrawal syndromes, assuming that you are not at any risk, eating red meat, skipping or sudden stopping of medications, watching TV all day long, etc.

If you focus and wisely start to overcome and get rid of these habits, it will soon help you get good health of your heart and will also help you live longer. Procrastinating, delaying or avoiding regular health check-ups altogether will help you keep up your good health and healthy heart.

The heart performs some of the most critical functions like pumping the blood throughout the body. It is also responsible for purifying the deoxygenated blood. Taking proper care of the heart is the key to live healthy. However, there are many factors that can adversely affect the functioning of your heart and lead to some life-threatening health conditions.

Causes of Heart Disease

High blood pressure or hypertension is among the most common causes of heart disease. High blood pressure is a result of poor lifestyle habits and chronic stress. Obesity is another major cause of various heart problems. Accumulation of too much fat and excessive buildup of cholesterol in the arteries narrows and thickens them. This increases the burden on the heart and makes it prone to various problems. Smoking cigarettes, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, too much stress, high cholesterol, depression, and insufficient sleep are a few factors that increase an individual’s risk of suffering from heart disease.

Symptoms of Heart Disease

Some early signs and symptoms of heart disease include chest pain, leg cramps, shortness of breath, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, and loss of consciousness. It is easy to confuse these symptoms with some minor problem. However, experiencing any of these symptoms requires you to seek medical attention.

Natural Ways to Treat Heart Disease

If identified early enough, heart disease can be treated just by making some necessary changes in the lifestyle. Some healthy measures that you can take to naturally reverse heart disease are explained below.

Make Dietary Changes

Your diet plays the most important role in helping you to treat and also prevent heart disease. Foods that contain high amounts of sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fats are dangerous for the heart. If you suffer from heart disease, then you should completely avoid foods like butter, cheese, red meats, sugar, margarine, ice cream, salty foods, fried foods, pizzas, hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, etc. To strengthen your heart, you should eat more fresh fruits and organic vegetables.

Exercise

Exercise is important to have a healthy heart. Cardiovascular exercises can reduce the pressure on your heart by enhancing the blood circulation. Regular exercise will also help to keep obesity away by burning excess calories.

Reduce Stress Levels

Stress contributes to high blood pressure and can lead to the development of heart problems. Stress can be caused due to a number of factors like relationship issues, financial problems, competition, etc. Although getting away from stress is not possible, you should take measures to minimize it. Meditation and yoga are among the best stress management techniques. Pursuing hobbies that make you happy will also help to keep stress away. Exercise is another good way of easing stress and feeling happy. Regular workouts will also help to boost confidence and self-esteem.

Make Lifestyle Changes

Developing certain healthy lifestyle habits is essential to reverse coronary heart disease. You should cut down on the consumption of alcohol and quit smoking. Alcohol not only lacks nutritive value, but it also contains a lot of calories. The harmful addiction of smoking cigarettes is one of the main reasons for arteriosclerosis and various heart diseases. You should also get proper rest and sleep for about six to seven hours every night. These habits will keep your heart healthy and prevent the occurrence of not only heart disease, but also many other health problems.

Eating a healthy, protein-rich breakfast every morning is important to stay fit and health. People who skip breakfast lack energy to perform daily activities, are more prone to unhealthy weight gain, and tend to snack on unhealthy foods all through the day. A high protein breakfast helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and also regulates your appetite. A filling breakfast will keep you satisfied for a longer duration and prevent carvings for unhealthy snacks.

Common high-protein breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, and sausages are often fried. This makes them high in calories and saturated fats and constitutes an unhealthy breakfast. Discussed below are few of the healthiest protein-rich breakfast foods.

Baked Eggs

Eggs can be prepared in various different ways. Baking them is one of the healthiest and delicious ways of consuming eggs. Another advantage of baked eggs is that they are very easy to prepare. Just a single serving of baked eggs will provide 6.5 grams of protein and keep you energetic during the day.

Quinoa

Quinoa is among the richest sources of protein. The protein present in just a single cup of cooked quinoa is more than what is present in an egg. Just cook quinoa for about twenty minutes in skimmed milk and add a few chopped walnuts, berries, and a teaspoon of honey after the milk gets absorbed and the grains become soft. A cup of quinoa contains approximately 7 grams of protein.

Yogurt, Granola, and Berry Parfait

A parfait prepared by layering Greek yogurt with some granola and fresh berries such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries is a quick and healthy breakfast idea. Greek yogurt is high in protein, granola is a source of dietary fiber, and berries contain good amounts of vitamins and antioxidants. Around one cup of this parfait will provide you with 15 grams of protein.

Banana Smoothie

Banana smoothie is perfect for people who prefer to have smoothies for breakfast. To prepare this smoothie, you should combine a ripe, froze banana with a single cup of yogurt, a teaspoon of honey, and half a cup of low-fat milk in a blender. Besides containing about 14 grams of protein, this smoothie is also high in fiber and calcium.

Scrambled Tofu

Scrambled tofu is a perfect breakfast food for vegetarians who are looking for high protein and low fat food item. To increase the nutritive value of this food, you can add to it some diced yellow and red peppers. It is also a good idea to add fresh herbs like cilantro, thyme, and basil. A single serving of this dish contains around 22 grams of protein.

Amaranth Porridge

Amaranth porridge is a good breakfast food since amaranth grains are high in protein and minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium. To prepare this healthy breakfast, add half a cup of amaranth to water and let it cook for about 20 minutes. To sweeten the porridge and enhance its taste, you can add a tablespoon of honey and also sprinkle in some dried raisins and cinnamon. One serving of this breakfast item contains about 9 grams of protein.

Some other protein-rich foods that you can eat for breakfast include avocado, chickpeas, tempeh, almond butter, soy milk, and brown rice. A protein rich diet has shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Having the above mentioned foods for breakfast will promote healthy living.

Blood circulation in the body takes place through the network of veins and arteries. The heart works round the clock in order to pump sufficient amount of blood into the arteries. Unfortunately, not many people care about blood circulation until they experience some kind of health problems. There are numerous factors that can impair blood circulation and give rise to some serious health problems. When organs like the brain, kidney, etc. fail to get the required amount of oxygen and nutrients due to poor circulation, the functioning of your entire body is affected.

Poor blood circulation can produce a number of symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, cold or numb hands and feet, swollen feet, cyanosis, fatigue, constipation, infections that take a lot of time to heal, lack of appetite, high blood pressure, brittle nails, dry skin, hair loss, various veins, and memory loss. The best way to guard against poor circulation is to be aware of its common causes and best treatment options.

Causes of Poor Blood Circulation

Atherosclerosis is the most common reason for poor blood circulation in the body. Also called as hardening of arteries, this condition causes blockage of arteries and reduce the area available for the blood to flow. Eating an unhealthy diet consisting of fatty foods and high cholesterol foods over a period of time causes the deposition of plaque in the walls of the arteries. The symptoms of atherosclerosis do not show up immediately, but take a long time to develop. An increase in plaque buildup causes thickening of the arterial wall and considerably slows down the blood flow. Because of this, there is a significant increase in the amount of pressure exerted on the heart to pump the required amount of blood. This increased pressure on the heart can eventually cause heart attack.

Some people suffer from bad circulation due to the way their bodies respond to cold temperatures. Cool climatic conditions can cause a reduction in blood flow to the hands and feet. Diabetes is another common cause of impaired blood circulation in the body. Poor circulation also affects children with congenital heart disease. Other common causes of bad circulation in the body include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking.

Treating and Preventing the Problem of Poor Circulation

The problem of bad circulation is diagnosed with the helps to a few essential tests such as MRI, X-rays, etc. In case of not so serious problems, altering your diet and lifestyle habits can help to prevent the buildup of plaque and improve circulation. Diabetics should put in extra effort to keep the blood sugar levels under control. People who are prone to high blood pressure will need to take prescribed medications. In case of bad blocks, angioplasty might be performed to widen the arteries. Serious problems involve undergoing bypass surgery.

The best way of preventing poor circulation is to form a habit of performing cardiovascular exercises regularly and eating healthy foods. Cardiovascular workouts are the best way of enhancing circulation and keeping various medical conditions at bay. Eating a diet full of vegetables and fruits will also help to improve circulation.

Many people tend to ignore the early signs of poor circulation. This can prove to be fatal in the long run and give rise to problems like strokes and heart attacks. Hence, taking the symptoms seriously and seeking proper treatment is essential.

It is necessary to maintain a normal cholesterol level since high cholesterol causes clogging of arteries and increases your chances of heart attack. Your blood contains two types of cholesterol: HDL cholesterol, which is beneficial for the heart and is also called as good cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, which is harmful for the heart and is referred to as bad cholesterol. People who suffer from high cholesterol are often prescribed cholesterol lowering prescription drugs. However, natural remedies are much better than prescription medications. These include eating healthy foods, living an active life, quitting smoking, and controlling stress. This article focuses on foods that you should eat in order to maintain normal cholesterol levels.

Fruits

Blueberries contain pterostilbene, which is a compound that is capable of fighting fat. Pterostilbene is even better than certain prescription drugs when it comes to controlling cholesterol. This makes blueberries one of the best heart healthy foods. Other fruits like apples, strawberries, and grapes are also effective in naturally lowering the cholesterol levels. Resveratrol present in red grapes is another powerful compound that has the ability to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Eating a bunch of red grapes on a regular basis can be of great help in improving your heart health. Eating organs daily is another good way of lowering the cholesterol level. This is because oranges contain pectin, which is a compound that prevents the cholesterol from getting absorbed into the bloodstream.

Nuts

Nuts like pistachios, almonds, and walnuts are excellent sources of healthy fats and antioxidants. Despite having a high calorie count, nuts can be very useful for reducing bad cholesterol when consumed in moderation. Eating walnuts and almonds in the morning is a nice way of keeping cholesterol levels under control.

Yogurt

Yogurt can also be helpful in maintaining good heart health. It contains live cultures, which are good bacteria that can be very useful in binding bile acid, which is a cholesterol byproduct. The activities performed by good bacteria can play an important role in lowering cholesterol naturally.

Fish

Fish is one of the best cholesterol foods since it is high in omega 3 essential fatty acids, which are considered to be very healthy for the heart. Studies have shown that a diet that contains sufficient amounts of omega 3 essential fatty acids increases good cholesterol and decreases triglyceride levels. Eating just about two servings of salmon every week is good enough to get sufficient omega 3 fatty acids and keep the cholesterol levels in check.

Foods Containing Soluble Fiber

Consuming only about twenty five grams of soluble fiber can significantly reduce the cholesterol levels. Fruits and vegetables like bananas, apples, oranges, broccoli, peas, kidney beans, and lentils are some of the richest sources of soluble fiber. Oatmeal and oat bran also contain soluble fiber that helps to lower cholesterol levels.

Olive Oil

Using olive oil for cooking can go a long way in helping to keep cholesterol level under control. It contains quite a few powerful antioxidants and has shown to reduce cholesterol.

Juices

Drinking orange juice on a regular basis has shown to increase good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol. Pectin present in oranges promotes good heart health. Pomegranate juice is also a healthy drink for the heart and is known to reduce plaque in the arteries. Pomegranate juice has shown to repair the damage that is caused by hardening of arteries or arteriosclerosis.