How to Avoid Dying Prematurely!

Stop smoking- Smoking tobacco is one of the most harmful things you can do on a regular basis. It's well established that smoking damages nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases, including all sorts of cardiovascular related problems, which contribute significantly to premature death. Smoking is estimated to increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke due to atherosclerosis by up to 4x compared to non-smokers. Cigarettes contain a variety of toxic compounds that damage blood vessels and poison tissues.

• Smoking is also the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of the lungs and lung cancer.
• Use nicotine patches or gum to help wean yourself off cigarettes.
• Try following the mnemonic START to help you get quit:
  • S= Set a quit Date.
  • T= Tell family and friends that you plan to quit.
  • A= Anticipate and plan ahead for hard times.
  • R= Remove tobacco products from. the home, car, work, etc.
  • T= Talk to your doctor about smoking cessation.

Control your blood pressure. High blood pressure (hypertension) is often referred to as the "silent killer" because it doesn't often cause noticeable symptoms until it's too late. High blood pressure puts strain on the heart and damages the insides of arteries over time, which promotes atherosclerosis or clogged arteries. It also promotes stroke and kidney disease. Blood pressure can be reduced with medication, although some people experience significant side effects from it. Natural ways of reducing blood pressure include losing weight if you are overweight, eating a healthy diet based on lots of fresh produce, cutting back on salt (sodium) consumption, daily exercise and controlling your stress via meditation, deep breathing techniques, yoga and/or tai chi.

• Hypertension is defined as having blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg on a regular basis.
• The DASH diet is often recommended for hypertension and it emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, lean fish, and low-fat dairy foods.
• Get plenty of potassium, which can help prevent and control hypertension, but limit your sodium intake to less than 1,500 mg daily.

Maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Although eating fat, even saturated fat, is healthy in moderation — after all, fatty acids are needed to make all cell membranes in the body — too much "bad fat" is damaging to cardiovascular health. Although saturated fat (the kind found in animal products) is often touted as unhealthy, the kind that really causes problems is trans fat, which is an artificially made hydrogenated vegetable oil found in most fried foods, margarine, cookies and chips. Trans fats raise the "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower the "good" HDL cholesterol in your blood, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

• Normal total cholesterol levels in the blood should be less than 200 mg/dL.
• LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL, whereas HDL levels should be above 60 mg/dL for optimal protection against cardiovascular disease.
• The healthiest fats are often considered to be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated plant-based fats. Foods rich in polyunsaturated fat include safflower, sesame and sunflower seeds, corn oil and soybeans; whereas great sources of monounsaturated fat include avocados, canola, olive and peanut oils.

Be more physically active. Another important factor in reducing your risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular disease is getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity puts lots of strain on the heart and blood vessels, which leads to dysfunction eventually. Only 30 minutes of mild-to-moderate cardiovascular exercise each day on a regular basis is linked to better health and longevity, as it can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as trigger gradual weight loss. Start with walking around your neighborhood, if weather permits, then transition to more difficult terrain, tread mills and/or cycling.

• Avoid vigorous exercise to start with, or if you have a known heart condition. Vigorous exercise (such as marathon running) temporarily increases blood pressure and strain on the heart, which may trigger a heart attack.
• Thirty minutes of daily exercise is good for your health and an hour is even better, but much beyond that amount isn't proven to be significantly more beneficial.
• Recommendations for exercise include the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. These recommendation include doing 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate intensity exercise every week. Types of moderate intensity exercise include ballroom dancing, biking slowly, gardening, using your manual wheelchair, walking, and water aerobics. More vigorous activities are biking up hills, basketball, swimming laps, and running.