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Guidelines to Maintain Your Heart’s Health for Life

Guidelines to Maintain Your Heart’s Health for Life

By Dr. Patrick Lovegrove Medically Reviewed by Lindsay Langley, BSN, RN, CHT
Posted Monday, April 3rd, 2023
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Guidelines to Maintain Your Heart

Your heart circulates blood throughout a vast 60,000-mile network to nourish the trillions of cells in your body. These easy Guidelines to Maintain Your Heart’s Health can improve and keep your heart healthy for the rest of your life.

7 Easy Steps to Improve your Heart’s Health

  1. 10,000 Daily Steps
    Most people walk at most 4,000 steps daily, which is insufficient for heart health. Along with diet, inactivity is a significant contributor to heart problems, according to medical experts.
  2. Avoid Long Periods Of Sitting.
    According to researchers, the risk of heart disease increases by 15% every two hours spent sedentary in front of the television. Therefore, get up, or better yet, turn it off and get moving. People who spend more than four hours per day in front of a computer or television screen have a heightened risk of heart disease. It can trigger early death from any cause.
  3. Do Not Sleep Too Much.
    A recent West Virginia University School of Medicine study revealed that excessive sleep harms the heart. More than 1.5 times as likely to develop heart disease were those who regularly slept longer than nine hours per night. It is according to a study of more than 30,000 adults. The optimal sleep per night was six to seven hours, while less than five was considered inadequate.
  4. Check Your Neck Size.
    Recent research indicates that the thickness of your neck may provide more information about your risk of heart disease than your waist circumference. A fatty neck may reveal the presence of heart-damaging visceral fat deposits surrounding the liver and heart. The average neck circumference of an American woman is 13 12 inches, while a man is 16 inches. A fatty neck may indicate the presence of heart-damaging visceral fat deposits surrounding the liver and heart.
  5. Eat Six Meals A Day.
    A study published in the British Medical Journal states that eating small meals can help keep cholesterol levels in check. Researchers discovered that individuals who consumed six small meals daily had a positive effect. 5% percent lower average cholesterol and lower artery-clogging “bad” low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Compared to those who consumed one or two large meals.
  6. Say “No” To Sugary Drinks.
    Harvard School of Public Health research indicates that consuming even one sugar-sweetened beverage daily increases the risk of heart disease by at least 20%. In addition, research suggests that people who drink sugary beverages are more likely to develop dangerous abdominal fat associated with heart disease.
  7. Consume Garlic Daily.
    Research indicates that allicin is the primary component responsible for the health benefits of garlic. Allicin is broken down in the body into compounds that react with red blood cells to generate hydrogen sulfide, which relaxes blood vessels and facilitates blood flow.
  8. Exercise Every DayAnything that increases heart rate is beneficial for heart health. Fifteen minutes of exercise per day or 90 minutes per week is sufficient. Aim to build up to at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week through aerobic exercise. Overall, any activity that raises your heart rate and leaves you feeling slightly out of breath and sweaty.
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About the author

Dr. Patrick Lovegrove

Dr. Patrick Lovegrove is board certified by the American Board of Family Physicians. He was born in Staunton, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia where he majored in Biology. He received a Medical School Scholarship from the United States Air Force. A graduate of Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine, his over 20 years of clinical experience includes Family Practice, Anti-aging, Holistic Internal Medicine, Pain Management, Aerospace, Sports, and Emergency Medicine. He believes that holistic medicine should be integrated with conventional medicine in a scientifically based model to achieve the best results for patients.