Two recent articles describe ways to optimize your heart health.
The American Heart Association has identified seven keys to an ideal heart and includes:
-Never smoked or quit more than one year ago.
-Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 25.
-Moderate exercise of at least 150 minutes per week or 75 minutes if vigorous.
-Four to five of the components of a “healthy diet”.
-Total cholesterol less than 200.
-Blood pressure below 120/80.
-Fasting blood sugar less than 100.
(Did You Know? The healthy diet mentioned above includes a diet high in fruits and vegetables, fish twice or more per week, low in sugar-sweetened beverages, high in fiber-rich whole grains, and low in sodium.)
With chocolate Easter eggs still present in many homes, it’s only appropriate to mention that chocolate could reduce heart risks. German researchers found that those who ate about one square of chocolate per day had a 39% lower risk of heart attack or stroke. Experts think that the flavonols in the chocolate (also present in vegetables and red wine) dilate the blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. Of course, too much of anything isn’t good for you either!