5 daily habits to improve heart, brain and eye health
Blackmores Naturopath Rebekah Russell shares her top five tips for boosting heart, brain and eye health.
1. Stand up for your health
Sitting is the new smoking. Sitting for hours on end, like most office workers do, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke – even if you are a regular exerciser. Unfortunately, a morning run or afternoon swim can’t negate the damage of sitting for eight hours or more a day. Try setting a diary reminder on your computer to stand up and walk around or try to stand during phone calls.
2. De-stress
Despite modern technologies that are designed to make life easier, we’re all more stressed than ever. Long-term stress can spike levels of cortisol – a stress hormone which can affect the short-term memory regions of the brain. Meditation, spending time with friends and family, switching off from the Internet and social media, are all ways you can minimise stress and maintain long-term brain health.
3. Be a floss boss
Not only can regular flossing prevent bad breath, it may prevent heart attack. While there is currently no definitive proof periodontal disease actually causes heart disease, there is proof that bacteria in the mouth can be released into the bloodstream and cause a hardening of the arteries. This can then lead to heart attack and stroke – reason enough to include flossing in your daily routine!
4. Good food
Good eye, brain and heart health all starts with the food on your fork. Try to include two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables in your diet each day.
Lutein (often referred to as the “eye vitamin”) and zeaxanthin, nutrients commonly found in vegetables, are disease-fighting antioxidants that are important for eyes, brain, and heart. Both nutrients are commonly found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, turnips and lettuce as well as broccoli, zucchini and brussels sprouts and eggs.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and fish oil, may also help fight off macular degeneration and cataracts, while also maintaining good heart and brain health.
5. Get social
If you need another excuse to catch up with friends, or hang out with family, it’s this one! Socialising stimulates the brain and can also help to encourage healthy behaviours such as exercising. Daily social interaction has also been suggested to protect the brain against diseases including dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Images: Getty