Roses, teddy bears and chocolates wrapped in pink paper all around. You know what day it is. Valentine’s day, day of love. In Swedish, Valentine’s is called Alla hjärtans dag – all hearts’ day, which is kind of nice. Of course, it can mean all hearts as in all lovers, but literally a heart is the awesome pump in your chest, which too deserves a little love! As a student, it’s easy to care a lot about study results and less about your health. Here are some things to do to look after your heart:
Get more active Whether it be choosing to start going to the gym five times a week or taking the stairs to your student apartment, physical activity has a positive impact on your heart. Small changes count too!
Hydrate properly … as in drink water rather than sugary beverages or fruit juices. Also, maybe save alcohol for celebrations.
Eat wisely Keep healthy things at the front of your cupboards – if you see it, you’re more likely to eat it (the same goes for unhealthy things). Eat more veg! Here is a recipe for a super quick carrot pasta dish. Last but not least: cook at home, that way you know what’s in your meal. As a bonus, you’ll save a buck or two (Yas!). Read our blog post on meal prepping here.
Cut the smoking Ok, so while the other things we’ve mentioned are relatively easy, this one probably isn’t. BUT, the researchers say, if you’re a smoker, this is the no 1 best thing you can do to improve your heart health. If you want help quitting, there are resources at the university (Student Health Care) as well as at the pharmacy.
Hope you’re well <3
