Celebrate National Heart Month with Heart-Healthy Living

Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the U.S. Prevention of heart disease, strokes and other serious heart conditions is a lifetime commitment. But not to worry! We can help you make this a priority.

This February during National Heart Month, challenge yourself to make a change. Here are some ways to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle and prevent heart disease.

Nutrition Is Key

Strengthen your heart health by embracing a nutrient-rich diet. Controlling the types of food you eat, as well as the portion sizes, helps you keep risk factors in check — like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, diabetes and weight gain.

Start slow. Focus on one aspect at a time like sodium intake. Because high amounts of sodium can impact blood pressure and cholesterol, it is important to limit the amount of salt you consume daily. Make small, but important, adjustments like choosing fresh meat over processed and prepackaged options, or occasionally substitute snacks like chips with vegetables or fruit. 

Salt and sugar are a necessary part of a well-balanced diet but be conscious of the types and amounts of salt, sugars and fats you are consuming.

Pair Healthy Eating with Exercise

People should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. That’s about 20 minutes of exercise per day. The heart is a muscle, so it’s important to treat it like one.

If you aren’t currently active, begin with smaller increments. Even 10 minutes of physical activity a day is an improvement, and your heart will thank you for treating it well.

Regular exercise and good nutrition work together to lower your BMI, keep you at a healthy weight and keep you at a lower risk of developing a heart-related illness.

Make Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle habits can also have an immense impact on heart health. Activities like smoking, vaping and drinking alcohol elevate the potential for heart disease. Substances like these increase blood pressure levels and impair other important functions.

The chemicals in tobacco products damage your heart and blood vessels. Smoking and vaping decrease oxygen while increasing blood pressure and heart rate, making smokers more susceptible to stroke, heart attack and heart disease. If you smoke, it is important to quit.

The truth is, it’s never too late to stop smoking. Your risk of heart complications will decrease as soon as one day after quitting and is reduced even more over an extended period. If you aren’t a smoker, stay away from secondhand smoke as that, too, can cause heart complications.

As for drinking alcohol, limiting your intake is a valuable habit. Just like tobacco, alcohol increases your blood pressure and contributes to irregular heartbeats. Reducing the amount of alcohol you consume will result in a healthier heart. Men are recommended to drink no more than two alcoholic beverages per day, and women no more than one. If you currently drink more than that, try cutting back. Your heart will thank you.

Family Matters

Family history can also predispose you to developing heart disease. Look into your family background to see if your parents, grandparents or other relatives have struggled with heart-related illnesses. Knowing the genetic nature of the condition can help you better understand your personal risk level and implement helpful lifestyle changes to reduce risk.

Get Screened

One of the best ways to determine if you are at risk of developing heart disease or if your implemented changes are working is to go to the doctor. A medical professional can monitor your efforts and also provide you with more tips and tricks to strengthen your heart.

Contact a Community cardiologist to discuss your heart health, or start a conversation with your primary care provider.

Community Health Network also provides extensive heart screenings to help you understand your risk. Visit https://www.ecommunity.com/services/heart-and-vascular/screenings to learn about these screening options.