Healthy Heart

In the UK, heart disease kills more people, both men and women, than any other disease.

The British Heart Foundation highlight five key steps to a healthy heart that can be included in your everyday life.  Once you've seen what they are you'll realize a lot of them are just common sense and working towards keeping a healthy heart is easy.

Healthy Eating

Too much saturated fat from red meat, biscuits, cakes, chips and dairy products can clog up your arteries and put a strain on your heart. However, eating fish, poultry and vegetables etc can help see the Heart Foundation Booklet So You Want to Lose Weight for Good (external link)  for advice. The Heart Information Series (HIS) booklets  Cholesterol (external link) and Eating for your Heart (external link)  can also offer good advice about cholesterol levels.

Be More Active

Half an hour a day makes all the difference and this can be included in your daily routine.  Start off gently and build-up gradually.  See  Get Active! (external link)  booklet and Put Your Heart Into Walking (external link)  leaflet.

Be Smoke Free

From the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce and is halved after one year of stopping smoking. See HIS 2 Smoking and your Heart (external link)  for advice on how to stop smoking.

Reduce Alcohol

Binge drinking will increase your risk of having another heart attack. See our drinking sensibly section  for guidelines on alcohol intake.

Trim Excess Weight

By eating a balanced diet, drinking alcohol with moderation and increasing your levels of physical activity, you can maintain a healthy body and heart.

Information provided by the British Heart Foundation (external link)