The Benefits of Following a Heart-Healthy Diet

Pretty much everyone knows that following a good diet is a smart thing to do. It increases levels of health by strengthening your bones and muscles and improves your cardiovascular system, too. But we don’t need to do a lot of things to reap the benefits of a good diet. It seems that when dealing with a multitude of health concerns, a healthy diet can often be a good way to get a handle on things. Diabetes is one of those issues that can also be alleviated by following heart healthy practices, starting with a good diet.

 

According to a new study coming out of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, following the same heart-healthy standards established by dietary professionals in the past can also help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes as we age.

 

In the full report, it was determined that following seven steps that have been shown to establish good heart health also reduced the risk of developing diabetes. These seven things included a healthy diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, keeping blood pressure under control, maintaining healthy glucose levels, keeping cholesterol levels in check, and refraining from using tobacco products. In this study, those participants that strictly adhered to four of the seven guidelines showed a 70 percent reduction in the chances of developing diabetes over a ten year period. When glucose levels were included in the four categories, that likelihood of avoiding the disease rose to 80 percent.

 

Heart healthy practices can have a positive impact on other areas of life, too.

 

Clearly, a heart healthy lifestyle carries over to other areas of health, too. Eating right, along with other healthy habits, can play a large role in your continued health as a senior citizen. If you are looking for ways to improve your health as you age, these things all can act as a good place to start. Of course, if you have questions about how to apply these things to your lifestyle, getting in touch with a doctor is probably the best place to start.

 

Many of our elderly relatives are already struggling with the impact of poor health or lifestyle choices. For these individuals, there are still things that can be done. Evidence shows that quitting smoking can have immediate health benefits. Eating right has benefits too, although they can take a bit longer to begin to become evident. Encouraging and enabling your family members to make healthy changes can be a good first step toward helping those that you love live a happier life.

 

You might find that your loved one needs assistance around the house, either because of problems associated with poor health, disability, dementia, or advanced age. If this is the case, finding a professional caregiver who is familiar with their specific set of needs and how to best address them on a daily basis can go a long way toward helping them to live a better quality of life, too. Unlike the changes to lifestyle that were described above, this won’t help to improve any health issues, but it can make the everyday tasks that we all face a lot easier. For someone dealing with health issues, this assistance can be a blessing.

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