Heart Health Month at O’Connors Pharmacy Douglas
Irish Heart Health Month is an initiative to increase awareness, remind people that their heart is the most important organ in their body and help them understand what they can do to take good care of it.
In the last year or two, we have been so overwhelmed with what’s going on in the world that it’s been easy to forget our focus on our individual health. It has also seen a huge shift to shopping online for clothes, food and even medicine. This has opened a completely different view as to how people shop for health products and that has been adopted by Irish online pharmacies.
O’Connors Pharmacy in Douglas are delighted to be part of this heart health initiative. In this article we have some suggestions for simple measures and brilliant products that can help you improve your heart health. You can view our range of supplements here.
According to the Irish Heart Foundation, cardiovascular diseases, which includes heart disease and strokes, is one of the most common causes of death in Ireland. 1 in 4 men lose their life to a heart related condition.
Irish Heart Health Month aims to raise awareness around these issues and start to increase conversations around diet, alcohol intake, healthy lifestyles, exercise and health supplements. Prevention is always better than cure. Here are our four top tips to improve your heart health.
1. Healthy diet. Maintaining a healthy diet should be top of the list for prevention of all diseases not just those which are heart related. The modern diet relies heavily on processed carbs, sugars and unhealthy fats. Create a balanced diet plan with options of green vegetables like kale and spinach along with whole grains such as oats, brown rice, barley, nuts and seeds. Including a square or two of dark chocolate and green tea in the diet has also proven to be beneficial. There are also a range of supplements which have been shown to be beneficial for heart health. For example Zerochol is a 100% natural food supplement containing plant sterols, clinically proven to lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease and a supplement such as Armolipid supports the maintenance of healthy cholesterol levels.
2. Regular exercise. A heart health commitment should include a daily schedule with exercise. It keeps us active and healthy and improves our cardiac function. Deep belly breathing, yoga, regular walks and the associated lifestyle changes will improve general health and feelings of well being – physical and mental. Maintaining a regular body weight also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
3. Reduce stress. After an exhausting 18 months of pandemic, excessive workloads, no work at all or existing health conditions have increased stress levels for most of the population. It is vitally important that we try and relax our minds and reduce stress levels. As carers for our own health, we need to make sure that we decrease anxiety which has a profound effect on our heart and brain health - both improved by our Sona Omega 3 fish oil capsules.
4. Add garlic to your diet. According to research, garlic is one of the most effective natural herbs in reducing cholesterol levels as it works as a blood thinner, thus easing the pressure on the heart. In our online pharmacy you will find this excellent supplement from Sona which combines garlic and vitamin C.
Conclusion
Oftentimes we are so intent on the activities and demands of daily life that we neglect our own selves. For September’s Irish Heart Health Month, aim to start prioritising your health first, particularly addressing issues related to your heart. Adopting the simple measures outlined above, along with adding to your diet from our carefully selected range of supplements, will not only maintain a healthy heart but will also give you more time to focus on your loved ones.