Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It cannot be easily replaced and you cannot live without it. This organ is able to hold up to a lot of wear, tear and abuse, but you do need to take care of it if you want to live a long, healthy life. Following are five important ways in which you can improve your heart’s health.

Drink in Moderation

Alcohol in itself is not bad for you. In fact, a number of studies seem to indicate that red wine in particular is actually good for your heart. However, drinking more than one or two cups of alcohol a day will raise the fat levels in your blood and make you more susceptible to high blood pressure and heart failure. It should also be noted that almost all forms of alcohol are high in calories. If you drink too much, you will put on weight and this extra weight will put a strain on your heart.

Exercise

Exercise helps the heart in more ways than one. It increases oxygen flow to the heart and blood vessels, helps lower blood pressure and helps you stay at your proper weight. Find a form of exercise you enjoy and do it for at least half an hour a day.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is the root cause of numerous ailments. While this is common knowledge, smoking is addictive and even those who would like to stop find it very difficult to do so. However, it is not impossible for anyone to quit smoking. With time, hard work and a concerted effort, a person can leave cigarettes behind for good. What is more, the body can repair at least some of the damage caused by cigarette smoking once a person quits.

Eat Heart Healthy Foods

Maintaining a healthy diet is important, as overweight individuals are more likely to have heart problems than those who are at their proper weight. At the same time, there are some particular foods that are known to be very “heart healthy” and a person will want to eat generous servings of these foods on a regular basis. Some foods that are particularly good for the heart include fruits, dried fruits, vegetables, salmon, fresh tuna and mackerel.

Reduce Stress

A recent study found that individuals going through stressful experiences such as being laid off or facing financial crisis were more susceptible to heart attacks than those who were not overly stressed out. While prolonged stress on its own is certainly not good for you, it should be noted that it also leads to other unhealthy behaviors such as weight gain, excessive drinking and smoking.

You can reduce stress by maintaining a healthy work schedule, making time to engage in enjoyable activities with family members and/or friends and avoiding stressful situations at work whenever possible. Maintaining a positive, optimistic perspective will also help reduce stress, as it enables you to deal with crisis situations in a healthy manner.

No matter how old you are or what state of physical health you are in, you should be concerned about your heart and do all you can to keep it healthy and running well. Follow the tips outlined above and you can avoid serious heart conditions that cause disability or even a premature death.

Matthew Wallace, MD advises physicians and business owners on how to incorporate sound financial planning principals into their busy lives and protect against the real threat of losing one’s income due to disability. Prior to entering the financial planning profession, for eight years Matthew practiced Family Medicine before being severely injured in an auto accident that left him unable to continue his medical career.

He lives in Orange County, CA and is married with three beautiful children. Matthew is an avid chess player, an aspiring chef and writes for his website www.doctordisability.com.