4 Steps to Prevent a Heart Attack

Pick up almost any magazine these days and you will find an article related to heart disease. Many studies claim that heart disease is the number one killer of women over fifty and the number two killer of men over forty, however these studies never give you tips on how to reduce your risk of heart disease. Here are four simple steps to help you prevent a heart attack.

1) Add good carbs to your diet to prevent a heart attack. Many diets tell you to avoid carbs, but in doing so many people also avoid the good carbs. What is the difference between good and bad carbs? Bad carbs are the empty calories that you get from sugar and refined grains. Good carbs come from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

2) Stick to lean protein sources to prevent a heart attack. Protein is the building block of muscle. Your body needs protein to maintain and repair muscle. To prevent a heart attack you need to keep heart strong and your arteries clear. Fatty protein contributes to the cholesterol that can build up and block your arteries. There are many sources of lean protein.Eggs, milk, and fish are good sources of lean protein. Lean beef, chicken breast, and turkey are the best sources of lean protein.

3) Add omega 3 fatty acids to your diet to prevent a heart attack. The easiest way to add omega 3 fatty acids to your diet is by eating at least two servings of fish each week. Fish such as Mackerel, Tuna, and Salmon are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. However, many people do not have the desire to eat fish. If you are in that category there is an alternative way to add omega 3 fatty acids to your diet, supplements. Every health food store and many drug stores carry omega 3 fatty acid softgel capsules that you can add to your daily diet. The capsules are made to not taste fishy for us folks that avoid fish like the plaque.

4) Eat heart healthy foods to prevent a heart attack. Switch to olive oil and canola oil for cooking. Both of these oils are heart friendly and are a great step forward to help you prevent a heart attack. Other heart healthy foods include apples, legumes, oat bran, flax seed, oatmeal, unsalted nuts, and red wine. Keep in mind that red wine is only heart friendly when used in moderation. Doctors recommend just 4 ounces a day.

Avoid foods that are high in sugar, contain aspartame, or high fructose corn syrup. These three ingredients are detrimental to your health on many levels and eliminating or reducing them from your daily diet will help to prevent a heart attack.

Note: Doctors also recommend daily cardio exercise to prevent a heart attack.