Getting to The Heart of The Matter

2/16/2017 (Permalink)

Getting to The Heart of The Matter

Love is in the air this beautiful month of February. Let’s start the month off right by loving ourselves and celebrating American Heart month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. but there are preventatives to heart disease- by making healthier choices about your well-being.

Here are some helpful heart healthy tips that can help get you on the right track:

• Schedule a visit with your doctor to talk about heart health. There are many ways your doctor can check to make sure you are heart healthy; they can listen to your heart, take your heart rate, check your blood pressure, check your heart by doing a physical exam, and through blood tests.
• Add exercise to your daily routine. You don’t have to be an athlete to get started, even taking a brisk walk for thirty minutes a day can make a big difference!
• Increase healthy eating. Incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry and fish, nuts, and non-tropical vegetable oils into your diet.
• Take steps to quit smoking. One year, after quitting smoking, your risk of coronary heart disease is about half that of a smoker’s. After five years, your risk of stroke is reduced to that of a nonsmoker.
• Take medication as prescribed. Failing to take your medication properly can have a negative impact on your treatment; By not taking as prescribed the drug won’t work like it should.
• Limit alcohol intake. If you’re going to drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

Content Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention