With Valentines Day on Monday i'm sure most of you out there will be planning romantic gestures to your loved ones... But have you thought about your own heart?
Heart Disease is the UK's biggest killer, with over 6 million people living with the condition! Causes can include other health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and family history. Many other factors come into play such as smoking, excess body weight, age, gender and stress...
There are so many ways to reduce your risk of heart disease, so why not treat your heart to some TLC this Valentines...
- Assess your diet - Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and reduce your intake of salt and alcohol.
- Get moving - Physical activity 3x a week can halve your risk of heart disease.
- Watch your weight - Shedding a couple of lbs can massively reduce your risk.
- Quit smoking - If you have previously had a heart attack, giving up smoking can reduce your chances of having another attack by 25%!
- Have regular health checks - Make sure your BMI is at a healthy range, and if not, do something about it!
- Reduce your blood pressure - Exercising more and reducing calorie and alcohol intake can help lower your blood pressure.
- Control your cholesterol levels - Cut out trans and saturated fats and eat more oily fish and oats.
It's not just our romantic fortunes that need looking after, we need to look after our physical hearts too...There are many ways to look after your heart and your loved ones... This Valentines give yourself the gift of a healthy heart <3
