Happy healthy heart

Top tips to keep your heart happy and healthy

Show your heart some love today with these handy tips to keep your heart happy and healthy with Dr Clare Arnott, Cardiologist and Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health.

The best way to keep your heart healthy is to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

  1. Give up smoking
  1. Manage your weight
  • Maintain a healthy weight with a balanced diet filled with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, combined with regular physical activity. Limit your intake of saturated fats, and foods high in sugar.
  1. Get active
  1. Healthy eating
  • Healthy eating is a key component of maintaining a healthy heart.  Heart healthy eating patterns rely on a combination of nutrient rich foods. This style of eating is low in saturated and trans fats, salt and added sugar.  It is also rich in whole grains, fibre, antioxidants and unsaturated fats. Avoid heavily processed foods. Learn more about heart healthy eating patterns here.
  1. Managing stress  
  1. Have a regular heart health check
  • It is important that we all routinely monitor our heart health risk factors. Make sure you discuss these risks with your general practitioner and make a plan with them to monitor your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
  • Advocate for your friends and family, encourage them to have a heart health check too.