Looking Back on World Heart Day 2016

Looking back on World Heart Day 2016 this year, as expected, it was a huge success. World Heart Day was founded in 2000 to inform people around the world that heart disease and strokes are the leading causes of death around the world, claiming 17.3 million lives each year!

World Heart Day spreads the awareness that a minimum of 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) could be avoided if the four main risks are controlled. These four are:

Unhealthy diets Physical inactivity Harmful alcohol use Tobacco use

Here at defibshop, we joined in with World Heart day to spread awareness on these issues, but also on the issues of sudden cardiac arrest, CPR and how important these are to be understood.

So just to make sure you’ve got the message, we’re sharing the 3 lifestyle factors to focus on to help keep you and your heart healthy for the long term.

A Balanced Diet

Everyone should aspire to have a well balanced diet. The easiest way to get your head around this is to think of the foods in groups:

Fruit and vegetables Starch Dairy Meat and fish Fats and sugars

Fruit and Vegetables

You should have at least 5 portions a day of fruit and veg. It’s best if you try to vary these.

They can be fresh, dried, frozen or even tinned. Pure fruit juices which are unsweetened, pulses and beans count as a portion, but they only make up a maximum of one of your 5 a days, no matter much you eat in one day. A portion is approximately a handful- 80g or 3oz. Examples of these portions are: 1 pear, 4 broccoli florets, 7-8 strawberries and 3 heaped table spoons of carrots.

Fats

It’s incredibly important you make the right decisions where fats are concerned in your diet. To keep your heart and yourself healthy, you should:

Replace as many saturated fats as possible with small amounts of poly and monounsaturated fats Cut down on foods containing trans fats (these are typically found in highly processed foods) Embrace healthy fats such as walnuts, avocado and oily fish, but be mindful to watch your portion size, and always eat in moderation

Salt

Too much salt in your diet can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure which can ultimately increase your chances of developing CHD.

You can reduce your salt intake simply by cooking from scratch where you can and checking the salt content of your food before eating.

Alcohol

It is always recommended you stay well within the recommended guidelines of alcohol - whether you drink regularly or just occasionally.

Exercise Regularly

Implementing some form of exercise into your lifestyle is imperative to achieving a healthy heart and lifestyle. Any type of exercise can benefit your heart and lifestyle and even your mood! People of all types, shapes, sizes and abilities will benefit from the activity, whether it is intense aerobic exercise or just moderate walking. Walking 30 minutes a day can massively improve your heart health and is a great way to reduce stress levels – contributing to healthier blood pressure.

When it comes to exercise here is what we recommend:

40 minutes of daily moderate exercise can help to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. 75 minutes of intense exercise will help you improve your cardiovascular health. You can even spread the exercise over the course of the day and still see the benefits.

Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your heart and overall health. As one of the leading causes to Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), smoking causes a build up of a wax like substance in the coronary arteries which supply the heart with oxygenated blood. If the flow of the blood is reduced or blocked to the heart, angina or a heart attack can occur.

Ditching the cigarettes can allow you to:

Breathe easier Have more energy Improved fertility Younger looking skin Longer life

So, what did you and your friends get up to this #WorldHeartDay? Why not share with us in the comment section what you did to honour World Heart Day 2016 or send us a tweet @defibshop and join in with the conversation.

defibshop are committed to equipping everyone with the skills and knowledge to save a life. Speak to one of our Product Specialists on 0161 776 7422 or fill out our Contact Form.