Heart disease, including cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, and abnormal heart rhythms, represent the largest killer of humans on earth today. The tragedy is that many of these diseases are often entirely preventable, and that there are a host of preventative strategies with which to do so. Here are 5 amazing ways to prevent heart disease.

1. Exercise

While it doesn’t seem particularly amazing, just increasing your heart rate to above 140 beats per minute for 30-60 minutes every day can act as an incredibly effective shield against heart disease of all kinds due to the lowering of blood sugar, the clearing of arteries, and the metabolically proper increase in inflammation known as hormetic stress. What’s amazing about exercise is that 30-60 minutes is a tiny fraction of the physical movement our ancestors performed every day for tens of thousands of years.

2. Live Like A Hunter-Gatherer

Researchers from Long Beach Memorial Health Center studied the hearts of hundreds of Tsimané tribesmen from the Amazon and found that “Almost nine out of 10 had clear arteries showing no risk of heart disease. Almost two thirds of those over the age of 75 were classed as having virtually no risk of heart disease and just eight per cent had a moderate-to-high risk level.” This is a dramatic statement of how our hearts are affected by modern life. Wake up with the sun, go to sleep after sundown, don’t eat foods that don’t exist in nature, spend plenty of time doing low-intensity exercise, be out among trees and hills, have a good community, drink a lot of water, eat plenty of fiber, don’t take too much synthetic medicine if you don’t have to, love your family and friends, act like a hunter-gatherer.

3. Sauna

In a groundbreaking study, Dr. Jari Laukkanen of Finland demonstrated a significant reduction in all-cause mortality in men between the ages of 42-60, with decreases as high as 50% in regards to CVD, who used the sauna up to 20 minutes at 180 degrees Fahrenheit 4-7 times a week. Smaller reductions were also recorded for less frequent visitors. 

4. Diet

You are what you eat. If you’re eating a lot of fats, don’t eat them in conjunction with sugars. Skip sugar and simple carbohydrates whenever possible. Eat plenty of fiber and fibrous vegetables like brussel sprouts and collard greens. Get a full nutrient profile of essential minerals from nuts and seeds, and get omega 3’s 6’s and 12’s from oily fish like salmon or mackerel. It sometimes sucks to pass on the pizza, ice cream, or doughnuts, but we aren’t children, and we should be able to tell ourselves we know better. Eating correctly and staving off heart disease isn’t rocket science, nor is it some kind of new phenomenon; in fact it’s quite the contrary. All the information you could possible want is on the internet, backed by 40-50 years of empirical observations and controlled trials. 

5. Engage In Community Activities

For exactly the same reason exercise protects you against heart disease, rigorous sport does the same. Rather than running 3 miles on the treadmill, doing everything you can to stave off boredom, join an aged over-30 basketball or soccer team. Trail running, kayaking, hiking, or even birdwatching groups can also supply heavy physical movement as well as enjoyment. The added person to person interaction or the delight of being part of a team will increase your quality of life as well, in the way that being around people who care about you always will.