The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland is sharing the top ten tips for good heart health as World Heart Day approaches.
Almost 1800 people die every year in Northern Ireland from coronary heart disease and on World Heart Day British Heart Foundation (BHF) Northern Ireland is calling on locals to look after their hearts.
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Stop smoking now before it stops you![/caption]
Tuesday 29 September is World Heart Day and BHF Northern Ireland is reminding local people that keeping the heart healthy is the best thing they can do to help prevent and manage coronary heart disease (CHD).
Statistics show in Northern Ireland, more than one in seven men and nearly one in 10 women die from CHD. It is responsible for nearly 1800 deaths in Northern Ireland each year, an average of five deaths each day, and kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer does here. BHF Northern Ireland is currently running a hard hitting TV campaign to highlight how heart conditions such as coronary heart disease can suddenly devastate families here every day.
Head of BHF Northern Ireland Jayne Murray said World Heart Day is a timely reminder for local people to look after their heart health.
“Most heart and circulatory conditions can be prevented by making positive changes. It makes sense for everyone to take a few minutes on World Heart Day and look at what each of us can do to keep our hearts healthy,” she said.
“By giving up smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, leading an active lifestyle and monitoring your alcohol intake you can make some small changes to your daily routine and make a big difference to your heart health
“Coronary heart disease is the Northern Ireland’s single biggest killer. So keeping your heart healthy is the best thing you can do to help prevent and manage coronary heart disease.
“BHF Northern Ireland is dedicated to fighting for every heartbeat and for over 50 years we’ve pioneered research that’s transformed the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. We are reminding local people that they too can do something about their own heart health and help us reduce the number of people here dying from coronary heart disease.”
BHF NI’s top ten tips for good heart health are:
1. Give up smoking
Stopping smoking is the single best thing you could do to improve your heart health. Smokers are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack than non-smokers, which is why it’s so important to kick the habit for good.
2. Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of getting diabetes, having high blood pressure and high cholesterol – three key risk factors for coronary heart disease.
3. Lead an active lifestyle
Keeping physically active can help you maintain a strong and healthy heart. It can also help you keep your weight and blood pressure in check.
4. Ditch the salt
Having too much can make us more likely to develop high blood pressure. Why not get rid of the salt shaker from the dinner table and try flavouring your food with pepper, herbs, garlic, spices or lemon juice instead as a way to cut down.
5. Eat your 5-a-day
A well-balanced diet should include 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. These can be fresh, frozen, dried or tinned. Try adding fruit to your breakfast cereal, having tinned fruit for dessert or keeping a fruit in your bag as a healthy snack to help boost your intake.
6. Cut the saturated fat
Eating too much saturated fat can cause high cholesterol putting you at greater risk of coronary heart disease. Make small changes like swapping full-fat milk for skimmed, steaming and grilling food instead of frying, and choosing lean meats to reduce your saturated fat intake.
7. Always read the food labels
Reading the labels on food can be a quick and easy way to find out if something is healthy for you.
8. Don’t drink too much
Drinking too much can increase your risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm, high blood pressure and having a stroke. Keeping a tally of how much you are drinking is an easy way to see if you need to cut back to keep within the lower risk limits
9. Watch your portion sizes
Looks can be deceiving when it comes to food. Our research has shown portion sizes for certain foods in the UK have grown. Large portions can contribute to over-eating and there is a tendency for us to over-estimate how much food we should be consuming. Knowing and controlling your portion sizes can help you maintain a healthy weight.
10. Watch your stress levels
Identifying situations which make you feel stressed, and how to avoid them is a great place to start. In times of anxiety, exercise and eating a healthy diet can help to alleviate stress in a positive way.
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