Try these suggestions if you want to improve your heart health as you get older.
In your 50s, having a strong heart
is essential, mainly because your heart experiences significant changes as you
age. For example, the National Institute of Aging emphasizes that your heart is
a muscle, which means that it will naturally become weaker as you age.
Even while significant changes to
your heart don't occur until your mid-60s, it's still crucial to pay attention
to your heart health now, especially if you're already in your 50s.
Fortunately, certain foods and
eating habits can help you build a strong heart at any age by making only a few
simple changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Continue reading to learn about the
eating habits that can help you keep a healthy heart.
1. Avoid diet sodas
Both regular and diet soda have
their own set of health risks when it comes to soda consumption. "Diet
sodas and other artificially sweetened beverages are unhelpful when it comes to
heart health," says Arika Hoscheit, RDN of Paloma Health.
Some people believe that switching
to diet soda would help them lose weight and save calories, but it's important
to remember that diet sodas can have significant consequences for your heart
health.
"Daily consumption of diet
soda may cause a 36 percent greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent
greater risk of type 2 diabetes when compared to non-diet-soda drinkers,"
Hoscheit says, "and one study even shows that daily consumption of diet
soda may cause a 36 percent greater risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67 percent
greater risk of type 2 diabetes when compared to non-diet-soda drinkers."
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eating enough fruits and vegetables
can help with a variety of health issues and reduce your risk of developing a
variety of diseases. This is an especially crucial habit to create for heart health.
"The compounds in fruit and
veggies that protect the plants from natural enemies also protect us from some
of our own, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and brain
deterioration," explains Judy Barbe, RD, author of Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest.
"Vegetables are full of fiber,
vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and these powerful micronutrients work
together to prevent heart disease and keep cholesterol levels low," says
Anna Rios, RDN.
3. Eat fish
Eating fish and other sources of
healthy fats, especially if they replace some of the unhealthy fats in your
regular diet, can help you maintain a solid and healthy heart.
"The omega-3s found in salmon and other oily fish protect against heart attack, stroke, cancer, and inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis," Barbe explains, "and it does so by thinning the blood and preventing it from sticking to your artery walls, lowering the risk of blocked arteries and heart attacks."
4. Eat enough fiber
Getting sufficient fiber in your
daily diet is critical for better heart health and cholesterol reduction, which
is increasingly significant as you age.
"Choose high-fiber meals like
whole grains, beans, lentils, fruits, and nuts because soluble fiber binds to
cholesterol particles in the small intestine, keeping it from entering your
bloodstream, and lower cholesterol levels preserve your heart health,"
explains Rios.