It’s much easier to prevent illness than to recover from it. Lifestyle changes you make now could mean all the difference later in life. February is American Heart Month, meant to spread awareness & action about the causes, treatment, and prevention of heart disease. That’s why we’re kicking the month off with 10 ways to keep your heart happy & free of heart disease!
What Causes Heart Disease?
Heart disease (or cardiovascular disease) is the number one cause of death worldwide. However, the term heart disease can actually refer to various kinds of issues, such as diseased or damaged vessels, structural complications, and blood clots.
One of the reasons this group of conditions is grouped together is because most of them share similar risk factors (such as smoking, high blood pressure, etc.) that endanger the patient.
The good news: many of the leading causes of heart diseases can actually be prevented early on with lifestyle changes.
Ways To Prevent Heart Disease
If you are concerned about your heart health, there are dozens of ways you can change your lifestyle to prevent heart disease. Below are 10 tips to prevent heart disease and keep your heart happy.
1 - Exercise Regularly
Getting regular exercise is good for you for many reasons, but one of the best is that it keeps your heart in good shape. It lowers cholesterol, improves circulation, can help reduce your weight and blood pressure. As an added bonus, exercise releases endorphins into your bloodstream that relax and calm you down and also relieves pain.
2 - Reduce Your Cholesterol
High cholesterol can cause many problems in the body— one of the worst of which is heart disease. You can reduce your cholesterol levels by eating a healthier diet. Some foods that lower your cholesterol are:
Oatmeal
Beans/legumes
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are excellent)
Fruit like apples, grapes, strawberries, and other citrus fruits
Vegetable oils
Soy
Fatty fish like salmon
Other ways to lower your cholesterol include getting plenty of exercise, quit smoking, lose weight, and limit your alcohol consumption.
3 - Change Your Diet
Changing your diet to include more heart-friendly foods is another great way to keep your heart in good condition for years to come. Try to reduce your saturated and trans-fat foods like french fries, cookies, cake, fatty meats, and junk food. You also probably want to eat more fiber (found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains), as well as more omega-3 fatty fish like salmon.
4 - Quit Smoking
Most people think of lung cancer as the main ailment they’re trying to avoid when they quit smoking, but kicking this dirty habit can be beneficial to many other areas of your body as well— including your heart! Smoking not only damages your lungs, but also can put immense stress on your heart. Quit smoking to bring good health to your heart and lungs.
5 - Give Up Alcohol
Although small amounts of alcohol can be beneficial, less is more. Whether you work to limit yourself to small amounts of alcohol or give it up altogether, this is an important step to take in caring for your heart.
6 - Watch Your Weight
Being even a little overweight can lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, putting more stress on your heart. Try swapping those unhealthy snacks for healthier ones. Take more walks or join a yoga class to start small, but every little bit helps. The more you lose weight, the more you will be encouraged to continue on your healthier lifestyle path.
7 - Take Your BP Medication
This one is fairly straightforward: if your blood pressure is high, take your medication as directed. High blood pressure is a severe condition that can damage the heart if left untreated.
8 - Educate Yourself On Heart Health
The more you know about a healthy lifestyle, your risk factors, and how to improve your heart health, the better off you will be. Consult some trusted medical sources online or talk to your heart health doctor for more information.
9 - Relax More To Control Your Blood Pressure
Start meditating or take up yoga to help relax your body more often and reduce your blood pressure. Exercise is also beneficial, but regular meditation and quiet breaks have been shown to work wonders with controlling anxiety, stress, and blood pressure.
Find ways to relax more by taking up a hobby, take a long bath, reducing your stress at work, take reading breaks, get out in nature, or anything that relaxes you.
10 - Manage Your Conditions
If you have other health conditions such as diabetes, make sure you see your doctor regularly, get tested, and control your symptoms with proper medication and other treatments. When your overall health is good, your heart is much happier.
Here at BICRAD there’s nothing more important to us than the health of our patients! This Heart Month, we encourage you to pick even just a few of these lifestyle changes to work into your habits and decrease your chances of developing a cardiovascular disease. If you’re experiencing symptoms of heart disease or are in need of any screening procedures, our team is here for you!