At Home with Chris Jessen 2018 - 95

H E A RT H E A LT H ▲

MOSTLY A S

YOUR HEART AGE IS 55+

MOSTLY B S

MOSTLY C S

YOUR HEART AGE IS 45+

YOUR HEART AGE IS 30+

Damage caused by years of eating fatty
Heart problems can occur as a result
foods, little or no exercise, high stress
of cumulative damage, caused over
levels and smoking is difficult to reverse.
many years. A good diet, exercise
Obesity is strongly linked to coronary heart
and not smoking are all part of your
disease and people who are overweight
healthy lifestyle. But there's room for
are more likely to suffer from blood
improvement - for example, you may
pressure problems, angina and high
not smoke, but even secondhand, or
LDL cholesterol levels - the 'bad'
'passive', smoke poses a risk to
cholesterol that travels in
your heart health. Your family
ONCE YOU
the bloodstream. Drinking
history of heart illness
HAVE ANSWERED
alcohol can also raise LDL
may also pose a risk.
ALL TWELVE
cholesterol, and if you're
QUESTIONS,
a smoker, the chances of
simply add up the number
your arteries thickening
of As, Bs and Cs you have
are doubled. You may
LIFESTYLE AND HABITS
scored and find out the
have multiple risk factors
Learn how to handle
age of your heart
for heart disease.
stress better. Those in
- and how to reduce
jobs with little or no
your risk.
control often feel the
effects of stress more than
those higher up the ladder. If
LIFESTYLE AND HABITS
your personality means that you
Quitting cigarettes is vital for the
react badly to stress - whether you're
improvement of your heart health. Smoking
delivering a report to your boss or
drastically reduces the beneficial effects of
finding a parking space - you need to
any other measures you might take.
find ways to manage it before your heart
health begins to suffer. Aches and pains,
EXERCISE
stomach and digestion problems, and
Reducing your waist measurement, by
headaches are all linked to high stress
taking up some form of exercise and
levels, but a stroke, even a mild one,
changing your diet, will make the biggest
may be the first symptom you have that
difference to your heart's health. If you
indicates you have a blocked artery.
have never exercised before or have an
existing medical condition, take advice
from your GP about the cardiac training
EXERCISE
range best suited to you before launching
While exercising, use a heart-rate monitor
into a new exercise programme.
to ensure you get the best from your
workout without becoming exhausted.
Aim for 150 minutes a week of moderate
DIET
physical activity.
Improve your diet by learning the difference
between bad (saturated) fats and good
(mono and poly-unsaturated) fats. Lower
DIET
your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL
A savoury tooth definitely needs to be
cholesterol (the 'good' type) by eating
addressed as there is a link between salt
oatmeal, kidney beans, prunes, almonds,
- particularly what's hidden in processed
walnuts and omega-3 fatty acids contained
foods - intake, high blood pressure and a
in fish such as sardines and mackerel.
thickening of the arteries.

REDUCE YOUR
HEART AGE

REDUCE YOUR
HEART AGE

In your teens and 20s, you may not
consider how your smoking habit or your
diet and lifestyle will affect the health of
your heart later on. You're unwittingly
storing up problems for the future by not
paying more attention to your diet and
incorporating the right sort of exercise
into your lifestyle. Being young and slim
with no family history does not make you
immune to the cumulative damage that
leads to heart problems later on.

REDUCE YOUR HEART AGE
LIFESTYLE AND HABITS

Help dilute stress by enlarging your
personal support network - it's crucial
to have friends to confide in. Educate
yourself in the differences between men's
and women's heart attacks. Heart attacks
in women can be more subtle than fullon chest pain, with dizziness and pain
elsewhere, such as in the jaw and neck.

EXERCISE
Doing weights and taking the stairs
occasionally won't lower your blood
pressure, but a regular aerobic exercise
regimen will. You will benefit most
from 30 minutes of moderate physical
activity, five days a week. Your heart is a
muscle and will respond to exercise and
become stronger over time. Not used to
exercising? Kickstart yourself by finding
a form of exercise you'll enjoy, otherwise
you won't stick at it. If you love fresh
air, take daily walks - increase the speed
and the length of time you walk each day.
Consider a team sport, joining a tennis
club or dance classes - an hour of salsa
each week will do you the world of good.

DIET
You can improve your overall diet by
ditching heart-hating trans fats found in
ready-made foods and eating more fresh
fruit and vegetables, fish and nuts.

www.athomemagazine.co.uk FEBRUARY 2018 | 095
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Chris Jessen 2018
