Show your ticker some love in National Heart Month

While you’re rushing about doing the weekly shop or playing with the grandkids, do you ever stop to think how healthy your heart is?

Statistics show that it’s time you did. Every year, a shocking 65,000 women in the UK suffer a heart attack and women are three times more likely to die from heart disease than from breast cancer. But why are we so clueless about the threat it poses to us?

We think of it as something affecting men more but in fact just as many women die from cardiovascular disease and many of the risk factors are connected to lifestyle.

The good news is, there are plenty of steps we can take to reduce the risk of developing heart problems. And with February marking National Heart Month, there’s no better time to show your ticker some love…

Most of us would never make the connection, but having regular eye checks can help detect serious health conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which can both lead to heart disease.

Did you know you’re more likely to have a heart attack in the morning than any other time? This is because levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, peak early in the day.

Add in a rise in blood pressure and heart rate from the rush to get ready followed by a stressful commute to work, and you have the perfect recipe for a heart attack.

Lower your stress levels with some simple tricks – music has a calming effect on our brains, so play something soothing as you get ready for the day. And get to bed early – the less sleep you have, the higher the levels of cortisol in your bloodstream.

An easy way to reduce high cholesterol is tweaking your diet. Biscuits, cakes, meat and full-fat dairy are full of saturated and trans fats, which raise cholesterol.

Swap white rice, pasta and potatoes for whole grains such as brown rice, millet, oats, quinoa and buckwheat. Also eat plenty of vegetables, especially greens.

Being overweight increases your risk of developing heart disease, but your body shape can have an impact too. People who carry weight on their waistline are more vulnerable to heart disease so exercise is extremely important when it comes to reducing the risk.

The ideal waistline is about half your height – on average that’s under 31.5 inches for women and under 37 inches for men, so take action if yours is more than this.

To whittle down that waist and lose weight in general, you should eat a healthy diet and do 150 minutes of exercise a week – that’s just over 20 minutes a day.

Come on – show your ticker some love!