Keeping a healthy heart is one of the most important aspects of ensuring that we maintain a lifestyle that is as free from discomfort as possible. In this article, we’ll look at some heart facts, and some top healthy heart tips to ensure you’re doing everything you can to keep one of your most important organs in its best shape. Always consult your doctor to discuss heart health further.
Facts About the Heart
The average heart beats about 100,000 times in one day, that’s about one beat every second. In that time your heart will pump about 2,000 gallons of blood over the course of 24 hours. There are nearly 75 trillion cells of the body that receive blood from the heart. While many know how vital the human heart is, its functions and hard work are often overlooked.[1]
The aforementioned average of 100,000 beats per day for a human heart equates to 35 million times a year, and over 2.5 billion times in a lifetime. Every day, your heart propels the blood in your body about 12,000 miles in total. To put that into context for you, it’s like travelling between New York and Los Angeles over 4 times.[2]
Because the heart has its own electrical impulse, it can, with a sufficient supply of oxygen, continue beating outside of the body. The cumulative length of your body’s blood vessels is over 60,000 miles long.[3]
If you’ve ever wondered what size your heart is, then you are in luck. Generally speaking, the average human heart is the size of your own fist. This does depend on numerous factors however, including the size of the person and the condition their heart is in.
A comprehensive look at the factors involved in supporting heart health can be quite overwhelming. There is so much research and information out there that making any one decision can feel at times like an overwhelming task. Let alone the fact that then you have to incorporate a lifestyle change into your old habits that are hard to break.
Let’s take a step back, though, and break the big picture down into 4 simple heart health tips that can get you on your way to a more healthful lifestyle.[4]
Foods for Heart Health
You love your food, of course you do. Probably because you choose your food. Start making simple choices in your diet to promote heart health. According to the CDC, a heart healthy diet should be low in saturated fats in order to lower your cholesterol, and it should also restrict sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure.[5]
Your first step for a healthy diet? Start planning. Sticking to a heart-friendly diet becomes way easier if you sit down before going to the grocery store and plan your week of meals. Plan for variety and plan for balance, and you won’t want to stop eating healthy. You’ll find that, with the right dose of thinking ahead of time, eating a heart healthy diet can be quite tasty.
What are the best supplements for Heart health?
Even if you’ve planned out your meals, sometimes it can still be tough to get all of the nutrients you need. That’s why you may wish discuss with your doctor adding heart health supplements to your diet. It can prove to be an important conversation. Be sure that you know what, if any, nutrient deficiencies you have that may shape both your diet plan and your supplement additions.
Ask if an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement is right for you, as it can help support healthy triglyceride levels.[6] If it is, then MegaRed Superior Omega-3 Krill Oil Extra Strength is easily absorbed and requires only one easy to swallow softgel per day. The bonus of using krill oil as your daily supplement is that it lacks the unpleasant and fishy aftertaste of regular fish oil, meaning no embarrassing situations.
Exercise for a Healthy Heart
Especially if you haven’t done it in a while, getting into good physical shape with regular exercise can be a pain. But doing so is absolutely crucial to a healthy cardiovascular system. All it takes is a half hour per day, five times a week to start obtaining the associated heart health benefits - and there are a lot of them. Consult your doctor if you plan on changing your exercise routine.
How can you start getting back into shape even if you don’t have time to hit the gym? Start adding in little bouts of exercise throughout your day. For instance, avoid the long stand up the escalator and hit the stairs. Fit bodyweight exercises like push-ups, lunges, or squats in as you can. Once you’ve finished your dinner, the dishes can wait - your health is more important, isn’t it? Hit the road and take a walk in the fresh air for at least 10 minutes.
Get the Right Amount of Sleep
The last of our heart health tips comes down to a simple idea: to continue being active, you must also get some rest. A long-term study at Harvard University found that too little sleep is linked to an increase in the risk factors for heart disease.[7] Getting your 8 hours every night should be a no-brainer.
If you’re planning to change your routine, consult your doctor first, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier you. For more heart facts and information on how to lead a heart healthy life, browse our site for more helpful articles.
[1] Asp, Karen “10 Amazing Facts About Your Health” Everyday Health, May 2015 https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/9-amazing-facts-about-your-heart/
[2] Asp, Karen “10 Amazing Facts About Your Health” Everyday Health, May 2015 https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/9-amazing-facts-about-your-heart/
[3] Asp, Karen “10 Amazing Facts About Your Health” Everyday Health, May 2015 https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/9-amazing-facts-about-your-heart/
[4] Asp, Karen “10 Amazing Facts About Your Health” Everyday Health, May 2015 https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/9-amazing-facts-about-your-heart/
[5] “Heart Disease Prevention: What You Can Do” CDC, May 2013
[6] Bradberry, Chris & Hilleman, Daniel “Overview of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Therapies” US National Library of Medicine, Nov 2013 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3875260/
[7] “Sleep and Disease Risk” Harvard Medical School, Dec 2007 http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep-and-disease-risk