Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 11-5-21

Health
Go For A Walk
Just 40 minutes three or four times a week (or 25 minutes of harder exercise, like jogging) can lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and body weight. You don’t have to do it all at once. Even 10 minutes at a time is great for your heart. Take the dog or meet a friend at the park. If you’re new to working out or just getting back into it, start slow. Talk to your doctor to see if you’re healthy enough for exercise.
Do Some Yoga
It’s not just exercise, it’s also a way to calm your mind and ease stress. That can lower heart rate and blood pressure and make you less anxious, which is all good for your heart. If yoga’s not your thing, make time for other healthy ways
to relax and cut stress, like meditation, listening to music, or a hobby you enjoy.
Stay at a Healthy Weight
Extra pounds raise your odds of high cholesterol, high blood pres- sure, and diabetes, all linked to heart disease. Don’t rely on fad diets or supplements to slim down, though. Exercise and the right amount of healthy foods are the best ways to keep a healthy weight. Talk to your doctor about how to meas- ure your body mass index (BMI) to find out if you need to lose weight.
Eat More Fruits and Veggies
The nutrients and fiber (and low calories and fat) make them heart-healthy. But they also have antioxidants, which may help protect your cells from damage that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Try to work differ- ent colors of produce into your diet. You can also add them to foods you already enjoy, like loading pizza with veggies or adding fruit to a bowl of cereal
Serve Up Salmon
Two servings a week of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sar- dines, or tuna may help your heart health. Part of it may be the omega-3 fatty acids in the fish, but other nutrients may also help. There's debate about farmed vs. wild-caught salmon. Some say wild fish are lower in contami- nants like chemicals and antibi- otics. Others point out that laws regulate the growth and harvest- ing of U.S.-farmed Atlantic salmon. Supplements may not have the same benefits.
Sleep at Least 7 Hours a Night
Your body needs long periods of deep rest. During that time, your heart rate and blood pressure drop low for a while, which is key for heart health. If you always snooze less than 7 hours, your body may start to make chemicals that keep those things from happening. Less sleep is also linked to inflamma- tion and high blood sugar, which can be bad for your heart.
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