It can be challenging to prioritise 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 healthy diet. To add a few extra steps to your daily tally, you might 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 schedule.
Replace a bad breakfast with a good one.
Do you typically eat a quick breakfast that is high in processed meat, refined (as opposed to whole) grains, saturated fat, and added sugar? Regular consumption of that type of food may increase weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, or calories, all of which are bad for your heart.
Instead, opt for breakfast items high in fibre, a type of carbohydrate that either passes through the body undigested (insoluble fibre) or turns into a gel that coats the gut (soluble fibre).
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 that was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that it is not okay if these methods make you feel isolated or lonely, because these feelings have been linked to higher risks for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
Try to substitute some of your electronic back-and-forth with people with in-person meetings in order to combat loneliness and isolation. Maybe you can make time in your schedule for a brief lunch, a coffee break, or a stroll with a friend or coworker.
