As we head into February, we are surrounded by ideas for Valentine’s Day. Hearts, flowers, messages of love and romance are everywhere. Maybe it is a good time to think about your own heart too and give your body a little bit of love and attention.
On average, your heart beats between 100,800 and 115,200 times a day.
Your heart works nonstop. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The heart is involved in delivering oxygen, nutrients and many other compounds around the body. It also is involved in removing ‘rubbish’ from our cells such as carbon dioxide. Your heart is a rather essential piece of kit, so in the same way you might get your car serviced or give your laptop a check over every so often, it is a good idea to do the same to yourself!
We are living longer but are we living well? There are now researchers and health educators who suggest that living longer might not be that much of a bonus if we are not healthy and well and have a certain quality of life. Considering the role of the heart in the overall functioning of the body, it makes sense to ensure it is going to be functioning as well as it can.
There is now plenty of evidence to show that simple lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking, taking some regular exercise and of course making positive changes to your diet can all have an impact on your heart.
The heart can move 5-7 litres of blood in one minute and over 7600 litres per day.
When it comes to giving up things like smoking, there is a lot of online support or help from your GP to get you started and help you. It doesn’t have to be done alone. The NHS suggest that giving up smoking can have an significant benefit on your heart health and it is thought that after one year of stopping, you have reduced the risk of a heart attack to around half that of a smoker.
When it comes to changing your diet, the Mediterranean Diet, rich in healthy fats. fresh fruit and vegetables and plenty of variety can be integrated slowly into your existing regime. Make it part of the routine in family meals and commit to try a new recipe each week. Your repertoire will soon increase and it can be a fun way to try new things, discover new flavours and give yourself a health boost too.
Eating brightly coloured foods can increase your intake of antioxidants and these are important for heart health including protecting against oxidative stress, one of the key factors in keeping the body healthy.
According to the British Heart Foundation, in the UK there are around 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks: that’s one every five minutes.
Exercise doesn’t have to be heading to the gym at 5am every day unless that is what you want to do. A brisk walk for around 30 minutes, three times a week can have a positive impact on our circulation and also on our eight management. If you can take a walk in a green or natural space, research suggests that this also helps our mental wellbeing. If we are less stressed, that has a knock-on benefit for out hearts.
We often hear about the benefits of red wine and how it can be good for your heart, at the same time we know too much alcohol can have a detrimental effect. There is also the fact that for lifestyle or cultural reasons, you might avoid alcohol all together. The good news is that you can get the benefits of the substances in red wine, by having a supplement.
Taking a supplement of resveratrol will give you the antioxidant compounds found in red wine, but without the alcohol. A combination that also includes other antioxidants such as rosemary, quercetin and vitamin C increases your antioxidant intake too.
The mineral magnesium is not only important for normal psychological function, it also plays a role in the health of muscles and one of our hardest working muscles is our heart. We know that too much stress and anxiety is not good for our hearts or our nervous system, so magnesium is an important nutrient on many levels. Look for Magnesium Orotate, considered to be one of the most suitable forms of magnesium for heart health. If you find that your nervous system could do with some help to maintain normal function, add a B complex too.
Ubiquinone, more commonly known as Co enzyme Q10, is an antioxidant enzyme that declines as we age. The body uses it in the mitochondria of the cell, then engine room of our cells, to help produce energy. Plenty of studies have shown that those with healthy levels of this co enzyme also have good heart function.
Simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can have a significant impact on your heart health, it makes sense to start those changes today for a lifetime of benefits.
Many health professionals also now regularly recommend Co enzyme Q10 when taking statins. Speak to your doctor about adding it to your regime, if you are on statins.
There is a combination of nutrients that work closely together which have had a lot of investigation in relation to homocysteine levels, they are Trimethylglycine, folic acid, B6 and B12. Folic acid and B12 contribute towards normal homocysteine metabolism and can be a supplement used as part of your health wellness regime. Look for B vitamins in their active forms to help the metabolism of the nutrients in the body.
So, this February, take a moment to look after your own heart as well as thinking of those you love. It could be the best gift you can give yourself! If you are concerned about heart health issues visit your GP or contact the British Heart Foundation.
