Be Heart Smart with 10 Healthy Habits to Protect your Body
How Heart Smart are you? Take this quick quiz from the U.S. National Institute on Aging and see if your brain knows how to keep your ticker in top shape (see answers at the bottom of this blog post)
TRUE OR FALSE:
1) Age is the biggest risk factor for heart disease and stroke True/False?
2) High blood pressure is a normal part of aging True/False?
3) Chronic inflammation can increase your risk of heart problems True/False?
4) Stress can hurt your heart True/False?
5) If you start exercising after age 60, it's too late to benefit your heart. True/False?
How did you do? Surprised at the answers? It's always good to continue learning on ways to better your health. How did you answer #4 . . . Stress can hurt your heart . . . True or False?
Stress can be so detrimental to our hearts that the American Heart Association recognizes this and promotes an entire section of its website to stress management. It suggests these 10 healthy habits to protect your body and your heart in particular from the ravages of stress:
1) Talk with family and friends
2) Exercise
3) Embrace the things you are able to change
4) Remember to laugh
5) Give up bad habits
6) Slow down
7) Get enough sleep
8) Get organized
9) Practice giving back
10) Try not to worry
Stress can cause a multitude of issues in our lives, from lack of sleep to changes in eating patterns. Sometimes we can make changes to reduce some of life?s stressors.
But when that's not practical or possible, you may find your peace with stress support supplements. Have you heard of adaptogens?
Adaptogens are plants that not only increase resistance to stress, but also boost concentration, performance and endurance when we're tired.
You can learn more about Adaptuit, which is made from Adaptogens on my wellness store.
You can also reach me at any time on 404-827-8102.
Wishing you the best in health and wellness,
Kathy
Independent Business Owner #13158176
ANSWERS:
1) True The incidence of heart disease and stroke rises steeply after age 65
2) False High blood pressure is not normal or healthy; it boosts the risk of heart attack, strokes and kidney failure.
3) True Inflammation is one of the many factors that could threaten heart health.
4) True Emotional stress makes the heart beat faster and puts a strain on blood vessels.
5) False Beginning exercise later in life still helps make the heart a better pump.
1https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/aging-hearts-and-arteries/preface
2http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/StressManagement/FightStressWithHealthyHabits/Fight-Stress-with-Healthy-Habits_UCM_307992_Article.jsp
3Panossian A., Wikman G., Kaur P., Asea A. Adaptogens exert a stress-protective effect by modulation of expression of molecular chaperones. Phytomedicine. 2009 Jun;16(6-7):617-22. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.12.003. Epub 2009 Feb 1. Abstract available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19188053
4 Facchinetti F et al Stress health 2002:18:11
5 6 Darvinyan V et al. Phytomed., 2000; 7: 365.
6 Panossian and Wikman J Ethnopharmacol, 2008; 118:183
7 https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/881.html
8 https://nccih.nih.gov/health/aloevera
9 Dulloo AG et al Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999, 70, 1040
10 Ibatov AN, Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr., 1995; 95: 78
Fact Sheet on Stress. National Institute of Mental Health/National Institutes of Health. Available at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ health/publications/stress/index.shtml