No drugs. No bypasses. No scars. Just solid DIY advice on how to keep your heart pumping.
1. Grill a steak. You may think it's bad for your heart, but you'd be wrong. Beef contains immunity-boosting selenium as well as homocysteine-lowering B vitamins. And up to 50 percent of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated variety.
2. Tell your wife to butt out. People who are exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes, three times a week, have a 26 percent greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encounter secondhand smoke.
3. Take aspirin. Regular aspirin consumption cuts the risk of coronary heart disease by 28 percent in people who have never had a heart attack or stroke.
4. Drink more tea. Men who drink 2 cups of tea a day are 25 percent less likely to die of heart disease than guys who rarely touch the stuff. The reason: flavonoids in the tea, which not only improve blood vessels' ability to relax, but also thin the blood, reducing clotting.
5. Touch her. Ten minutes of skin-to-skin contact (hand-holding, hugs) with your mate can help keep your blood pressure and pulse from spiking during stressful times, according to University of North Carolina researchers.
6. Go fishing for tuna. Omega-3 fats in tuna help strengthen heart muscle, lower blood pressure, and prevent clotting — as well as reduce levels of potentially deadly inflammation in the body.
7. Pair up. Married men are less likely to die of heart disease than bachelors. Scientists looked at men with mildly high blood pressure and found that after 3 years of marriage, the happily married men had healthier hearts than their unmarried brothers.
8. Adopt a dog. All that love ("You're a good boy, yes you are!") and aggravation ("Bad dog! Don't eat Daddy's crab dip!") makes your heart more adaptable and better able to deal with the stress that can lead to heart disease.
9. Rinse, brush. Rinse your mouth with Cool Mint Listerine and brush with Colgate Total toothpaste. They'll reduce oral bacteria, which can decrease your risk of a heart attack by 200 to 300 percent.
10. Make friends at work. Men with the most work friends also have the lowest heart rates and healthiest blood-pressure levels, even during times of stress.
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