5 ways to help prevent heart disease

Heart disease and stroke accounts for 40 percent of all deaths in New Zealand every year.  There are a number of things we can do to help reduce our risk:

1. Don't smoke
Smoking not only increases your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, it can also bring about some serious health problems and respiratory diseases.  If you are a smoker and are serious about wanting to have a healthy heart and a healthy body, find ways to quit.

2. Eat a heart healthy diet
Opt for a diet rich in raw fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.  Add more Omega 3 fatty acids into your diet as Omega 3 helps decrease the risk of abnormal heart rates and may also help in reducing blood pressure.  Cut down on saturated fats, salt, additives and preservatives.  Eliminate or limit alcohol consumption.

3. Maintain a healthy weight
If you are overweight or obese, you are at higher risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and other serious health diseases and conditions.  Maintaining a healthy weight helps you lower your risk for developing these problems, helps you feel good about yourself, and gives you more energy to enjoy life.

4. Get active
Exercising is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy body weight.  High blood pressure is often a precursor to heart disease, thus help maintain a healthy blood pressure by regular exercise.  Simply changing some habits such as walking to work can make people healthier both in the long and short term.

5. Get regular health screenings
High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels.  But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions.  Regular screening will accurately assess your health status.