The heart is the strongest muscle of our body and one that doesn’t stop working. Activities we do and the food we eat are affecting the heart more than what a lot of people think. An unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy food consumption can increase the risk of heart failure due to heart conditions and diseases such as coronary heart disease, Arrhythmia, and Ischaemic heart disease.

What is Hypertension
High Blood Pressure or Hypertension is one of the most common types of heart problems in the world. According to the American Heart Association, the number of American adults that have high blood pressure is estimated to be 103 million. This heart condition is not only rampant in the US as it is the second leading cause of death worldwide, next only to Ischaemic Heart Disease.

Stroke is one of the most common results of uncontrolled blood pressure. More than half of the deaths caused by stroke occurred in men. The leading causes of Hypertension include lack of exercise, use or abuse of alcohol or smoking, and Chronic Kidney Diseases.

What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease or CVD is also a condition that involves the heart and is known for inducing heart attacks. The complications are from the build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries, which clogs the flow of the blood throughout the body. According to NHS, CVD is one of the main causes of death in the UK and the whole world in general. it is also known to cause stroke, as well as Aortic disease that affects the Aorta, which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Both of these heart conditions can be caused by lack of proper exercise and an unhealthy diet. One of the biggest contributor to heart diseases, as well as gaining body weight, is eating food which has a high amount of sodium or salt. According to Blood Pressure UK, the higher the amount of salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be. This is because salt is known to make the human body retain water. If there is an excessive amount of extra water in the body, it can raise the blood pressure. The acceptable amount of salt for consumption every day is 8 grams which are roughly one and a half teaspoons.

Low Sodium Diet Tips
There are different ways to lessen sodium intake. Although the food will taste bland without the use of sodium, it is better to have a low sodium diet in order to have a healthier heart. One of the best ways to successfully delve into low sodium diet is to minimize or entirely avoid usage of salt while cooking This includes soy sauce, stock cubes or gravy granules. Instead of using salt, make use of herbs and spices from ginger, or chili.

Sauces such as ketchup and mustard contain a lot of salt, so it is a recommended action to check the label. Processed and smoked food, although convenient most of the time, are made with a lot of sodium contents and won’t do your heart good. When it comes to meat, instead of repackaged meat, use the fresh cuts because it contains natural sodium. Fruits and vegetables have low sodium content and can give more benefits to their nutrients and fibers.