Five Medication-free Strategies To Prevent Heart Disease
There are methods to help prevent heart disease other than leading a healthy life style. Heart disease is the leading cause of death yet it does not have to be a factor in your life. Here are five strategies to help protect the heart from heart disease.

1. Smoking or other tobacco products are one of the most significant risks for developing heart complications. No amount of smoking is safe for the heart. Medical studies have shown any form of tobacco products including smokeless tobacco and low tar or low nicotine
cigarettes are also very risky as well as second hand smoke. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals that are dangerous and harmful to the heart and body.

The chemicals hurt the blood vessels, making them narrow resulting in heart attacks. Smoking also makes the heart work harder when the vessels narrow, which then increases the blood pressure and heart rate.

Carbon monoxide is in cigarette smoke. It replaces the oxygen in the blood stream resulting in the higher blood pressure. Women that smoke and use birth control pills are at greater risks for having a heart attack of stroke compared to the women who do not smoke that use birth control. The risks increase for the smokers taking the birth controls when they are over the age of 35.

2. Regular activity reduces the risks of fatal heart disease. Combining the activity with a healthy diet decreases the risks even more. Physical activity helps to keep in control of weight that also reduces the risks of heart disease by avoiding becoming obese. The physical activity also reduces the risks of other health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as well as reducing the stress levels. Health guidelines recommend that the amount of physical activity for adults is 30-60 minutes at least four times a week. Simple acts of walking are one of the best ways to include physical activity daily to help reduce the risks of heart disease.

3. Eating a healthy diet helps to reduce the risks of heart disease. Limiting the fats in the diet while adding fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low dairy products protects the heart. Learning to eat a healthy diet is more about the types of foods consumed compared to the amounts of foods consumed. Omega-3 fatty acids help in the prevention of heart disease and lower the blood pressure. Some fish are natural sources of the Omega-3 that are great for the body and heart. It can be found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil, and canola oil. Reduce the alcohol consumption to lower the risks as well.

4. Maintain a healthy weight with a Body Mass Index or BMI within the limits of the healthy range. Any BMI rate over 25 is considered unhealthy and increases the chances of heart disease and other health related problems. When using the BMI chart, remember that fat weighs threes time more than fat so you will have a higher rate even when muscular.
Get regular health screenings for high blood pressure and cholesterol. They can cause severe damage to the heart and lead to heart disease. The blood pressure rate should not be over 120/80 millimeters of mercury and the cholesterol should be within the range of 130.

Prevention pays off when wanting to avoid heart disease. Learning to live a healthy life style is one of the best methods to use to combat heart disease.