Heart disease basically means your heart is not working properly. Some people are born with heart disease but many develop the disease as they age. This development of heart disease is easily preventable by maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen. As well avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol use, and reducing stress will also help prevent any heart issues.
 
Per heartandstroke.ca 9 in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke and thousands die each year. Signs of a heart attack vary from person to person as well as between men and women. Below are the signs of a heart attack you should know are:
 
Chest discomfort
Sweating
Upper body discomfort
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Light-headedness
 
And remember women are more likely to experience some of the common symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
 
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms call 9-1-1, stop all activity, take your nitroglycerin (if already prescribed), take Aspirin, rest and wait, and keep a list of your medications in your wallet and by the phone. Treating a heart attack means preventing or limiting the damage to your heart, and this treatment begins in the ambulance.
 
Ultimately Natatia’s One On One Fitness would like to see you take the actions to avoid living with heart disease or the fear of having a heart attack. 8 in 10 cases of heart disease are avoidable with simple healthy lifestyle changes like eating well, increasing your physical activity, maintain a healthy weight and reducing your stress.
 
Natatia’s One On One Fitness has many fitness programs from small group personal training to one on one personal training. We even have a new Senior Group Program where fitness and fun come together!

If you or anyone you know has high blood pressure; include these minerals in your meal plan, exercise regularly, and you will significantly lower your blood pressure.

Calcium: There are many vegetables that are good sources of calcium, and many plant-based foods, such as soy milk, that are formulated to be good sources of calcium. 
 
Potassium: Good sources  of potassium include most fruits and vegetables, especially oranges, bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes. 
 
Magnesium: Good sources of  magnesium include the dark green vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.
 
Vegetarian Diet:  A vegetarian’s diet offers more potassium, complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fats, fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A, in which contains the wholesome ingredients that are essential to deter high blood  pressure.

Photo courtesy of Br3nda
 

Making exercise part of your daily routine will make a big difference in controlling your blood pressure. 

The risk of high blood pressure increases with age. And like it or not, we get older every day. Regular exercise can help prevent high blood pressure, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. If your blood pressure is already high, regular exercise can help you control it.

How exercise helps

Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. And the less your heart has to work, the less force, or pressure, that's exerted on your arteries.

Becoming more active can lower your blood pressure by an average of 10 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). That's the same effect as some blood pressure medications. For some people, it's enough to reduce the need for blood pressure medication.

If your blood pressure is at a desirable level — less than 120/80 mm Hg — exercise can keep it from rising as you age. Regular exercise also helps you maintain a healthy weight, another important way to control blood pressure.

You need to keep it up though!  It takes about one to three months for regular exercise to have a stabilizing effect on blood pressure. The benefits last only as long as you continue to exercise.

Photo courtesy of jasleen_kaur