10 tips for a healthier heart

Here are some tips to help you look after your heart.

1. Quit smoking now. Twelve months after quitting, your increased risk of dying from heart disease will be half that of a continuing smoker.
   
   
2. Improve your diet. Include wholegrain cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts in your diet and lower your risk of heart disease.
   
   
3. Exercise regularly. Walk briskly for 30 minutes a day and reduce your risk of heart attack by one third.
   
   
4. Maintain your friendships. People with supportive friendship networks are at less risk of heart disease.
   
   
5. Eat more fish. Oily fish like tuna, sardines or salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and will boost your good cholesterol.
   
   
6. Switch your chocolate choice. Switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. When eaten in moderation, dark chocolate is good for your heart.
   
   
7. Limit your alcohol. It is recommended you limit yourself to no more than two standard glasses of alcohol a day if you are a man, or one glass a day if you are a woman.
   
   
8. Avoid salty and high sodium foods. Don’t add salt when preparing or eating your meals.
   
   
9. Have a diabetes test. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your artery walls and contribute to heart disease.
   
   
10. Make fitness fun. Choose activities that combine exercise and socialising like pilates, water aerobics, dancing, cycling or yoga.

Family Health

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STD Trends in the United States: 2011 National Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
STDs are a significant health challenge facing the United States. CDC estimates that 19 million new STD infections occur every year in this country.
HIV Among Youth in the US, Vital Signs
About 50,000 people are infected with HIV each year, and 1 in 4 is 13 to 24 years old. Youth make up 7% of the more than 1 million people in the US living with HIV. About 12,000 youth were infected with HIV in 2010. The greatest number of infections occurred among gay and bisexual youth. Nearly half of all new infections among youth occur in African American males.
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Health Tips for Long-Term Travelers

If you are going to be spending a long time in a foreign country—to go to school or to work, for example—have a plan to protect your health while you’re away from home.

Find a Doctor at Your Destination

Before you go, get checkups from your regular doctor and dentist to make sure everything's in good shape. You still might need care while you're gone, so plan in advance where you'll go if you get sick or are hurt. You might also want to consider getting travel health and evacuation insurance to pay for care, if you need it.
In some countries, there might be a risk of getting counterfeit medicines, so if you take any medicine routinely (such as drugs for high blood pressure or an asthma inhaler), consider bringing a supply from the United States. If you are going to be in another country a long time, make a plan with your doctor about how you will get refills of your medicines.

Avoid Injuries

The number one cause of preventable death in travelers is injuries, particularly traffic accidents. Always wear a seatbelt, be careful when crossing the street (especially in countries where they drive on the left), and try not to be on the road at night in developing countries. Another major cause of death is drowning, so take precautions when swimming, diving, or boating.

Get Vaccinated

Talk to your doctor about what shots you might need to prepare for your trip. You might need booster shots of routine vaccines or travel-related vaccines, depending on your destination. If you think you might travel to surrounding countries while you're gone, tell your doctor—other vaccines might be recommended for those areas.

Prevent Other Diseases

Not all diseases can be prevented by vaccines, so take other measures to protect yourself. Many diseases are spread by mosquitoes or other bugs, so try to avoid being bitten—wear insect repellent when outside, and only open windows if they have screens. If your doctor prescribes a drug to prevent malaria, make sure you take enough for your entire trip, and take it the entire time you are in a malaria risk area.
Travelers' diarrhea is very common in long-term travelers. Be careful about what you eat and drink, and ask your doctor about taking an antibiotic in case you do get sick.

HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases are a risk for long-term travelers, so if you have sex, you should use a condom every time. Bring condoms with you from the United States, since those sold in other countries may not be up to US standards.

Protect Your Mental Health

Being in another culture, especially if you do not speak the language, and away from family and friends can be stressful. Take care of your mental as well as physical health by eating healthfully and exercising regularly. Take along photos of family and friends, and stay in close contact with loved ones at home (see Mental Health & Travel).

Eight tips for healthy eating

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health, and can help you feel your best. It doesn't have to be difficult either. Just follow these eight diet tips to get started.
The key to a healthy diet is to do the following:

• Eat the right number of calories for how active you are, so that you balance the energy you consume with the energy you use. If you eat or drink too much, you’ll put on weight. If you eat and drink too little, you’ll lose weight. The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day (10,500 kilojoules). The average woman needs 2,000 calories (8,400 kilojoules). Most adults are eating more calories than they need, and should eat fewer calories.
• Eat a wide range of foods to ensure that you’re getting a balanced diet and that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs. 
  

  Get started

  These practical tips cover the basics of healthy eating, and can help you make healthier choices:
  

   Base your meals on starchy foods

  Starchy foods should make up around one third of the foods you eat. Starchy foods include potatoes, cereals, pasta, rice and bread. Choose wholegrain varieties (or eat potatoes with their skins on) when you can: they contain more fibre, and can make you feel full for longer.
  Most of us should eat more starchy foods: try to include at least one starchy food with each main meal. Some people think starchy foods are fattening, but gram for gram they contain fewer than half the calories of fat. Learn more in Starchy foods.
  
  

  Eat lots of fruit and veg

  It’s recommended that we eat at least five portions of different types of fruit and veg a day. It’s easier than it sounds. A glass of 100% unsweetened fruit juice can count as one portion, and vegetables cooked into dishes also count. Why not chop a banana over your breakfast cereal, or swap your usual mid-morning snack for some dried fruit? Learn more in 5 A DAY.
  

  Eat more fish

  Fish is a good source of protein and contains many vitamins and minerals. Aim to eat at least two portions a week, including at least one portion of oily fish. Oily fish is high in omega-3 fats, which may help to prevent heart disease. You can choose from fresh, frozen and canned: but remember that canned and smoked fish can be high in salt.
  Oily fish include salmon, mackerel, trout, herring, fresh tuna, sardines and pilchards. Non-oily fish include haddock, plaice, coley, cod, tinned tuna, skate and hake. Anyone who regularly eats a lot of fish should try to choose as wide a variety as possible.
  

  Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

  We all need some fat in our diet. But it’s important to pay attention to the amount and type of fat we’re eating. There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which increases your risk of developing heart disease.
  Saturated fat is found in many foods, such as hard cheese, cakes, biscuits, sausages, cream, butter, lard and pies. Try to cut down, and choose foods that contain unsaturated rather than saturated fats, such as vegetable oils, oily fish and avocados.
  For a healthier choice, use a just a small amount of vegetable oil or reduced-fat spread instead of butter, lard or ghee. When you're having meat, choose lean cuts and cut off any visible fat. Learn more, and get tips on cutting down, in Eat less saturated fat.
  Most people in the UK eat and drink too much sugar. Sugary foods and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, are often high in energy (measured in kilojoules or calories), and could contribute to weight gain. They can also cause tooth decay, especially if eaten between meals.
  Cut down on sugary fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks, cakes, biscuits and pastries, which contain added sugars: this is the kind of sugar we should be cutting down on rather than sugars that are found naturally in foods such as fruit and milk.
  Food labels can help: use them to check how much sugar foods contain. More than 22.5g of sugar per 100g means that the food is high in sugar. Learn more in Sugars and Understanding food labels.
  

  Eat less salt

  Even if you don’t add salt to your food, you may still be eating too much. About three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy, such as breakfast cereals, soups, breads and sauces. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.
  Use food labels to help you cut down. More than 1.5g of salt per 100g means the food is high in salt. Adults and children over 11 should eat no more than 6g of salt a day. Younger children should have even less. Learn more in Salt: the facts.
  

  Get active and be a healthy weight

  Eating a healthy, balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining a healthy weight, which is an important part of overall good health. Being overweight or obese can lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke. Being underweight could also affect your health. Check whether you’re a healthy weight by using our Healthy weight calculator.
  Most adults need to lose weight, and need to eat fewer calories in order to do this. If you're trying to lose weight, aim to eat less and be more active. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help: aim to cut down on foods that are high in fat and sugar, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
  Don't forget that alcohol is also high in calories, so cutting down can help you to control your weight. You can find information and advice in Lose weight. If you’re underweight, see Underweight adults. If you're worried about your weight, ask your GP or a dietitian for advice.
  Physical activity can help you to maintain weight loss or be a healthy weight. Being active doesn’t have to mean hours at the gym: you can find ways to fit more activity into your daily life. For example, try getting off the bus one stop early on the way home from work, and walking. Being physically active may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. For more ideas, see Get active your way.
  After getting active, remember not to reward yourself with a treat that is high in energy. If you feel hungry after activity, choose foods or drinks that are lower in calories but still filling.
  

  Don't get thirsty

  We need to drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This is in addition to the fluid we get from the food we eat. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, milk and fruit juices are the most healthy. Try to avoid sugary soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars and can be high in calories and bad for teeth. When the weather is warm, or when we get active, we may need more. Learn more in Drinks.
  

  Don’t skip breakfast

  Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them lose weight. In fact, research shows that eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Wholemeal cereal, with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.

Eat, workout for a strong heart

New Delhi: On World Heart Day, say yes to good eating habits and exercise. Have low fat milk, make your plate colourful by opting for different coloured vegetables and fruits and much more, says an expert.

Sonal Raval, nutritionist at Snap Fitness India, shares dietary and health tips to help people have a healthy heart:

- Eat a variety of food items, but not in excess: Different coloured vegetables and fruits, pulses and legumes, low fat dairy products are some of the ways to prevent your food from becoming boring.

- Check your weight: Overweight can be the reason behind high blood pressure or disease like diabetes. To avoid such problems, it is best to keep a check on your weight. Eat slowly and take smaller portion, opt for low calories, but rich in nutrients food.

- Keep away from food rich in fat: Use skimmed or low fat milk and milk products. Bake, roast or boil rather than frying.

- Eat food with adequate fiber: Fruits and vegetables like carrot, cucumber and apple have skin. They should be consumed along with it.

- Avoid sugar in excess: White sugar, soft drinks, candies, chocolates, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Don't eat sweets between meals.

- Sodium should be taken in less quantity: Use small amount of salt to prepare dish, try more natural ways to add flavour to food items. Go with spices, lemon juice, tomatoes and curds, don't munch chips and fried foods constantly.

- Don't encourage exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups. Such exercises involve straining muscles against other muscles or an immovable object.

- Don't exercise outdoors when the temperature becomes extreme. High humidity may cause you to tire more quickly; extreme temperatures can make breathing difficult, and cause chest pain. Indoor activities such as mall walking are better.

- Exercise in hilly areas is a big no. If you are located in such places then slow down when climbing up the hill.

- If your exercise programme has been interrupted for a few days due to illness, vacation, or any other reason, start with a reduced level of activity.