3 Easy Swaps for a Healthier Heart

It may be challenging for busy people to make heart-healthy decisions. These easy swaps can be beneficial.

It might be challenging to prioritize heart health during busy days. Simply put, it seems like you don't have time for routines that keep your ticker in tip-top shape, such as regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and a nutritious diet. To add a few extra steps to your daily tally, you can choose to park further away from a store or take the stairs whenever you can. What else can you do, though? These three activities may fit into your calendar.

Change Your Online Correspondence to a Face-to-Face Meeting

It's acceptable if your primary method of communication with others is texting, emailing, using social media, or making Zoom calls. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in the Journal of the American Heart Association states that it is not acceptable if these approaches make you feel isolated or lonely, as these issues have been related to increased risks for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

Try to substitute some of your technological back-and-forths with individuals with in-person meetings to battle loneliness and isolation. Maybe you can make time in your schedule for a little lunch, coffee break, or stroll with a friend or coworker.

Spending time with people in person can help you feel more connected to them and less alone. Being physically present with others might make you feel more valued, more involved with them, and more likely to have a feeling of shared identity. All of these things can potentially make you feel less lonely. For this reason, some physicians are beginning to practice "social prescribing," which includes advising patients to engage in volunteer work and other activities that foster face-to-face social interactions.

Better social connections may lower the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression or anxiety, according to a recent study by a team of Harvard researchers published in the International Journal of Public Health. Both have a link to heart disease or exacerbate pre-existing heart issues.

Replace a Subpar Breakfast with a Good One

Do you typically have a quick breakfast high in processed meat, refined (as opposed to whole) carbohydrates, saturated fat, and added sugar? Regular consumption of that type of food may increase weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, or calories, which are bad for your heart.

Instead, choose breakfast items high in fiber, a carbohydrate that either passes through the body undigested (insoluble fiber) or turns into a gel that coats the gut (soluble fiber).

Fiber not only aids with digestion, but it also:

Traps, removes, and reduces harmful [LDL] cholesterol, which can cause clogged arteries.
Reduces the risk of diabetes, which is closely linked to heart attacks and strokes, and manages blood sugar levels.
May aid in the fight against chronic inflammation, which contributes to heart attacks and artery blockages.

Fiber-rich foods include fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains (including quinoa, barley, and oats), and many others. Consider these fiber-rich breakfast suggestions:

Oats heated in the microwave for two minutes with a cup of low-fat milk.
A portion of cooked quinoa with berries, granola, and nonfat Greek yogurt, served cold if you have it in the fridge.
Milk and whole grain cereal (go for cereals with the highest amounts of whole grains and lowest amounts of added sugars)
A piece of toast made with whole grains and two tablespoons of nut butter (like almond or peanut butter)
A handful or two of homemade trail mix (use your favorite unsalted nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit such as raisins or apricots).

Replace a Few Minutes of Scrolling with Meditation

You can likely find a few minutes to meditate if you take a break from your hectic day. Meditation is vital for heart health. According to research, those who regularly practice meditation have reduced incidences of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other diseases than those who don't.

What is the relationship? A well-researched physiological shift that appears to help lower your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol is brought on by meditation.

The good news is that you just need to meditate for 10 to 20 minutes daily to experience its heart-healthy effects.

Simple meditation techniques for a hectic day include:

Sitting still, closing your eyes, and concentrating on your breathing without passing judgment on the sounds you hear or the thoughts that come to mind
Doing a guided meditation, which employs imagined scenarios to help you unwind
Listening to a recording of tranquil sounds like rain, waves, or flowing brooks.

Try to simply relax your mind for a few minutes each day. No matter how busy you are, you may find that you are soon getting better at meditation and other heart-healthy behaviors.