Heal with clean living

Cleanliness is next to godliness, the saying SO goes. That may or may not be the case – but what is known for certain is that cleanliness is next to healthiness. Like your car, lawn- mower or household appliances, your body works best when you keep it clean. Your heart, in particular, will benefit from a clean environment, free of bacteria and viruses, smoke, dirt and general artery-clogging grime. On average, non-smokers live ten years longer than those who light up day after day, according to a 50-year-long study published in the British Medical Journal. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

Shielding yourself from flu viruses can cut your risk of heart disease by a fifth or more. And, surprisingly, brushing your teeth twice a day is now known to be vital for the health of your heart. Another fact of life is that, much as we appreciate the end result, most of us do not particularly enjoy cleaning and that goes for our lifestyles as much as our living rooms. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

In a culture that regards eating rich foods, and smoking and drinking too much as grown-up entertainment, clean living gets a bad press for not being a bundle of laughs. But living a clean, heart-healthy life doesn’t have to be staid or boring.

HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

Purge the poisons

Some of this advice such as the case against cigarette smoking you will have heard before, but many of the revelations linking everyday environmental offenders to heart disease will probably surprise you. Back in ‘Heart-healthy eating’ (see page 66), we talk about how additives, manmade fats and processed foods can effectively be poisons for your heart. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

In this section, we discuss the non-food toxins that affect it. You’ll discover how the smallest steps, such as using mouth-wash or having a yearly flu jab, can help to keep your arteries clear and your heart healthy for years to come. Outlined in the following pages are a few simple steps for purging heart- damaging poisons.

Ban tobacco This may seem draconian if you’re a lifelong smoker who savours every cigarette break, but tobacco is the worst of the pollutants that cause cardiovascular disease. And lighting up not only damages your own heart and arteries; every time you expose someone else to cigarette smoke, it accelerates hardening of their arteries, too. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

Smoking causes a fifth of all coronary heart disease in the UK, and smokers have a 70 per cent greater chance of dying from heart disease than people who don’t use tobacco. Overall, a smoker is three times more likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. The longer you smoke, the higher your risk; conversely, the sooner you quit, the faster your heart heals. Giving up is hard, but with nicotine replacement, modern drugs and willpower, it’s certainly not impossible. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

If you care about your heart, you must stop smoking. Your doctor will help, and if you use the strategies that follow, you can be free of smoke today and you’ll enjoy life more than ever.

Scrub your hands Germs are everywhere. Using soap and water stops them from getting into your eyes, nose or mouth, where they can multiply and pave the way for infection and heart-damaging inflammation. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

Practising good personal hygiene fights more than colds; it can keep heart disease at bay as well.

Have your flu jab Being vaccinated against flu can cut your risk of being hospitalized with heart disease-related problems and drastically reduce your risk of having a heart attack if you’re already in a high-risk category. In the UK, free flu vaccines are offered to the over-65s and people at risk, such as diabetics. HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

Keep your teeth clean The way to your heart is through your mouth not by way of your stomach but via your arteries. Believe it or not, bacteria from sticky dental plaque can seep through infected gums and wreak havoe in your circulatory system.

Having clean teeth and healthy gums will really give you something to smile about.

HEAL WITH CLEAN LIVING

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