Believe it or not, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the world and it’s linked directly to our lifestyle. We eat too many of the incorrect foods, we live extremely stressful lives and we do not engage in enough physical activity. However, reducing your risk of heart disease is easier than you think.

The implications of a bad diet and stressful lifestyle are immense, affecting our overall health and quality of life. Simple changes in our everyday lives can make a substantial difference to our health and livelihood.

Here are five simple changes that can be made in order to live a healthier lifestyle:

Get active

Encourage your family and friends to get active. It’s one of the most valuable things you can do. It should be a way of life as it helps maintain a healthy weight and lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. Any activity that gets the heart pumping faster counts. Even a brisk walk with your dog, a short cycle, a gym class, swimming, dancing, gardening or playing an active game with your children. Why not try BWG Lifestyle’s Body Transformation Programme, for a solution that suits your lifestyle?

Drink less

Limiting your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day can actually reduce your risk immensely. One drink is a small glass of wine (around 120ml), a beer (340ml) or a tot of any spirit (25ml).

Don’t smoke

Quitting smoking is the best thing you could do for your heart and overall health. Smoking is the second leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Luckily, it’s never too late to stop. The immediate benefits to your body are noticeable and your risk of heart disease (and stroke) can fall to levels close to that of a non-smoker.

Avoid stress

Stress can often lead to unhealthy behaviours. Consoling yourself with indulgent food choices, spending a little more time on the couch than usual and drinking more. Try to manage your stress better by prepping meals weekly so that you don’t make unhealthy fast-food choices. Set yourself a reminder to go for a walk or take a breather to break the tension cycle.

Eat well

Following a healthy eating regime and choosing ingredients that nourish your body and fight inflammation are highly beneficial to a healthy heart. Alternatively, sign up with a healthy food delivery service like BWG’s Gourmet Meal Preparation Service, so that you are guaranteed you’re giving your body what it needs, when it needs.

Here are a few further measures you could implement in order to keep your heart healthy.

Cut down on salt – too much salt can increase your blood pressure thus putting unnecessary pressure on the heart, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Eat Less sugar – Too much sugar can lead to weight gain, which will increase your blood pressure, and could lead to diabetes and heart disease.
Limit saturated fats – Found in butter, ghee, margarine, fatty meats, dairy fats and processed foods. These increase cholesterol levels and could put unwanted stress on the heart.
Fill up on fruits and vegetables – By eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables, you will increase the amount of potassium in your diet, which helps to lower your blood pressure. The nutrients in fruit and veg further help to keep your heart healthy.
Eat more fish – oily fish such as pilchards, sardines, mackerel, salmon and fresh tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are thought to be beneficial for your heart because they improve cholesterol levels. If you’re vegetarian, you can gain these omega-3 fats from spinach, wheat germ, walnuts, flaxseed and flaxseed oil, soya and canola oil, as well as pumpkin seeds.
Cut back on alcohol – Alcohol can cause high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and could ultimately damage the heart muscle. This doesn’t mean that you need to give up alcohol altogether, but by sticking to the guidelines for moderate alcohol consumption, you could significantly reduce the change of heart disease.

If you suspect that you may have a heart problem, a visit to the GP is advisable. You could begin to make the above adjustments to your lifestyle, but it’s always a good idea to check in on your health regularly in order to catch any problems at an early stage.