{"id":205634,"date":"2019-04-26T15:18:27","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T15:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/5f17670acf5743285.temporary.link\/rohsi.org\/?p=205634"},"modified":"2019-04-26T15:20:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T15:20:18","slug":"6-heart-healthy-habits-for-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rohsi.org\/?p=205634","title":{"rendered":"6 HEART HEALTHY HABITS FOR SENIORS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Maintaining a healthy heart is important at any age, but\nmaintaining heart healthy habits for seniors becomes even more important as the\nlikelihood of heart illnesses increases as you age. Illnesses like heart\ndisease, congestive heart failure,<\/a> and heart\nattacks can potentially be avoided by taking actions to improve heart health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help keep your heart healthy- and happy- try using the\nfollowing tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop Smoking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is something often easier said than done, but if you\nwant to see improvements to your heart health quitting smoking is the way to\ngo. You can use patches, gum, nasal spray, inhalers, or lozenges to help with\nthe cravings. Seeking help from a support group or finding support from friends\nand family can also help. Tobacco Free Life has a great guide to quitting\nsmoking which you can find here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimize Your Alcohol Consumption<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alcohol affects you differently as you age. The older you\nbecome, the ability for your body to clear alcohol decreases. In addition,\ncertain medications that seniors are likely to be taking can get in the way\nwith how the body metabolizes alcohol. Ask your doctor how your medication\nreacts with alcohol to determine the potential affects you could see when\nconsuming alcohol. Reducing alcohol or eliminating it altogether can help\nreduce your blood pressure and risk to stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise Daily<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another important way to keep your heart healthy is by\nexercising. If you are someone who rarely exercises, ask your doctor, who knows\nyour overall health and any limitations you may have, for his or her recommendations\non where to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, the best place to start is simply walking. Start\nwith a 10-minute walk 3-4 times a week until you can walk 30-40 minutes 3-4\ntimes a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light jogging is also a great exercise for seniors seeking a\nhealthy heart. With jogging, start with a 10-minute jog until you can work your\nway up to 20 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other great cardio exercises include light weight lifting, water aerobics, and yoga. Performing daily exercises or stretching can also help improve and maintain heart health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eat More Heart-Healthy Foods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to completely transform your diet overnight, but starting small and working your way to a better diet can dramatically change your heart health as well as your overall health. Listed below are the types of food you should seek out to buy and others that you should avoid at the grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy:<\/strong>Fresh Fruits and Vegetables<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find colourful fruits and vegetables. These will provide a\nlarge amount of vitamins, minerals, and fibre while being low in calories.\nFrozen fruits and vegetables without any added sugars can provide the benefits\nof fresh fruit while maintaining a lower cost. For the happiest of hearts, try\nto have at least 5 servings a day of fresh fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nuts and High Fibre Foods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fibre can be found in many foods like fruits, vegetables,\nwhole-grain bread and cereal, and beans. However, nuts are one of the best\nplaces to get fibre, especially almonds and walnuts. For a healthy heart, eat\nat least 5 servings a week of nuts or high fibre foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Fat Dairy or Meat<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High fat dairy and meat contain saturated fats which\nincrease your bad cholesterol levels. Ultimately, these high cholesterol levels\ncan lead to clogged arteries which is a direct cause of many life threatening\nheart problems. Instead, look for leaner and reduced fat options for both dairy\nand meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydrogenated or Partially Hydrogenated Ingredients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These terms if listed on an ingredients list indicate that trans-fat\nis in the product. Oftentimes, you can find these ingredients in processed\nfoods like cakes, biscuits, frozen pizza, and stick margarine to name a few.\nTrans fat raises your bad cholesterol levels and therefore increases the risk\nof developing heart disease, stroke, and type two diabetes. Look for soft\nmargarine as a butter substitute, limit the baked goods you eat that include trans-fat,\nuse unhydrogenated vegetable oils like canola oil, and limit commercially fried\nfoods and baked goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugary Beverages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinking soda and fruit juice dramatically increases the\nlikelihood of someone developing coronary artery disease. These sugary drinks\ncontain only sugar and no other nutritional value to your diet which changes\nhow your body metabolizes food. Avoiding sugary beverages is the best way to\nlimit the adverse effects sugary beverages have on your heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salt<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Avoid high sodium foods which can lead to high blood\npressure and heart issues. Avoid buying products like deli meats, breakfast\ncereals, canned soup and vegetables, various condiments like ketchup, frozen\nmeals, and bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monitor Numbers with Regular Doctor Visits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a senior, it is very important to maintain regular doctor\nvisits for your heart health and overall health. Talking to your doctor will\nhelp you determine what areas of your health you need to improve and what steps\nshould be taken to improve those areas depending on your specific situation.\nHowever, a few general numbers to strive for to help keep your heart healthy\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n