A hearty tip

The cornerstone of religion is faith as to trust for love and there is no compromise. As far as marriage goes it is all about living the number of years together. Certainly couple’s vow of till death do us apart bears a romantic trait though sounds morbid as well. A man once said, if there was any inconvenient bump in this marital bliss it would be infidelity or early death!

Like infidelity, a word ceases to confer any positive meaning rather than its obvious debilitating definition. Health in its careless regard would only bring an inevitable premature death. Pardon the cruel words one expresses his thoughts but fact over matter is that coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women.

If one knows Mr. Brute any better, is that subtleties has its place and time but when a lesson must be taught, brutality of facts must be given to give another the benefit against their own doubt. Here are the basic tenets to keep that heart of yours pumping.

Don’t smoke or use tobacco products.

Descartes philosophical statement on existence, “I think, therefore I am; or I am thinking, therefore I exist” would be futile if one’s being is short lived by his own careless thought whereby accrediting to his forthcoming non existence.  Or in a nutshell, inhaling 4,800 chemicals that may damage your heart and blood vessels pending atherosclerosis ultimately leads to a heart attack.

If that wasn’t enough for you then bear in mind that carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke replaces some of the oxygen in your blood thus increasing your blood pressure by forcing your heart to work harder to supply enough oxygen. It starts you thinking why there were days when you couldn’t get old Jack up now could you.

Get active.

Mens sana incorpore sano. (A healthy mind in a healthy body) If the risk of a heart disease is not good enough to motivate you to start exercising, why not weigh it to your ego at the risk of sounding stupid the next time you engage in a stimulation conversation. Keyword; Focus!

30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity not only reduces the risk of a fatal heart disease but keeps your mind sharp. This body to brain connection is closely related to your improved cardiovascular system through exercising whereby sending more oxygen to your brain. Feeling slow in the office or casual conversations? Well time to grab your running shoes.

Eat a heart-healthy diet.

Low fat, cholesterol and salt- High in fiber, fruits and vegetables. There is no need to insult another’s intelligence over what is a good diet when nutritious food is widely accessible in this country (yes I’m referring to Malaysia)

The philosophy is simple, you may be skinny but your cholesterol may be high. Keep tab of what you eat and the benefits is in economic sense as well. Healthy living means lower medical bills. Period.

Maintain a healthy weight.

As you age, your weight gain is mostly fat rather than muscle. Use the Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine body fat percentage. Any number higher than 25 is associated with higher blood fats, blood pressure , your healthy or unhealthy and the inevitably increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Yet the BMI is a good but imperfect guide.

Muscle weighs more than fat, for instance, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference is also a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have. In general, men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm). And women, in general, are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm).

The fundamental of a healthy weight is fitness and not just sheer attractiveness.

Get regular health screening.

You don’t have a medical science degree so your diagnosis shall always remain a hypothesis. Get yourself checked regularly for these two things; your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The optimal BP is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury and should be checked at least every 2 years. Cholesterol levels however should be checked at least once every 5 years though you may need more checkups if your numbers aren’t optimal. Some children may need their blood cholesterol tested if they have a strong family history of heart disease.

Before the heart starts to love someone, it has to be given priority beforehand. Always remember that prevention is better than cure and a healthy lifestyle is not that complicated.