February is recognized as the month of the American heart, an observance in health that encourages Americans to focus on their cardiovascular health and to understand the importance of adopting healthier behavior that can reduce the risk of serious health results, such as a heart attack or a stroke.
According to centers for disease control and prevention (CDC), heart disease is the main cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States
By adopting healthier life habits, individuals can learn to integrate small but powerful changes into their daily routines that can help prevent heart disease. The CDC declares that living a healthier lifestyle can help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar normally and can help reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attack.
Living a longer and healthier life begins by taking care of your heart. Here are six lifestyle habits that can be implemented today which can improve not only the heart but the health of the whole body.
- Choose healthy foods and drinks. By choosing healthy meals and snacks, you can help prevent heart disease and heart complications. Make sure you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Eating foods rich in fiber and low in saturated and trans fat can help prevent high cholesterol. Since alcohol consumption can increase your blood pressure, if you choose to drink, limit the amount of alcohol consumed at no more than one glass per day for women and no more than 2 glasses per day for men.
- Keep healthy weight. It is important to maintain healthy weight. Obutory people or suffer from obesity have a higher risk of heart disease. An additional weight can put additional stress on blood vessels and the heart.
- Get regular physical activity. All physical activity is better than nothing. It can be useful to choose an activity that you like, such as cycling, yoga, walking, swimming or tennis. Physical activity can help maintain healthy weight and reduce your blood cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. For adults, the general surgeon recommends at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity, such as a fast or cycling, each week for heart health. For adolescents and children, it is recommended to obtain at least 1 hour of physical activity per day.
Optum warning: Speak with your doctor before considerably increases your activity level. This is particularly important for those who have underlying medical conditions. Learn about the amounts and types of activities that can be the best for you.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking and tobacco consumption can increase your risk of heart disease. If you are a non-smoker, don’t start. If you smoke, quit smoking will reduce your risk of heart disease. Talk to your doctor to find out more about the means to help you stop.
- Take care of your medical conditions. If you have a medical condition such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, you can take measures to reduce your risk of heart disease. Monitor your cholesterol as recommended by your health care provider, check your blood pressure regularly and manage your blood sugar if you have a pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you take medication to treat one of these diseases, it is important to carefully follow your doctor’s instructions. Never stop taking medication without first talking to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
- Sleep well. Taking a good night’s sleep is not only important for your energy level, it is also essential for your heart health. Adults who do not sleep at least 7 hours each night are more likely to have health problems such as heart attack, asthma and depression, some of which may increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Some things you can do to sleep better understand respect for a regular sleep schedule; Do not eat or drink within a few hours of bedtime; Keep your room cool, dark and quiet; And get enough physical activity during the day.
It is true that certain habits are difficult to break, but remember that small steps can lead to large victories. Take a habit at the same time and with a series of small changes, you are on the way for a healthier lifestyle and a healthier heart.
Dr. Sabrina Williams is a doctor in family medicine at Optum Primary Care in Fall Creek.
