February is Heart Health Month, so it’s a great time to think about how you can
start living a more heart-healthy lifestyle. From diet to exercise, there are
many things you can do to improve your overall health. Being heart-healthy
doesn’t mean you have to drastically change your lifestyle and give up the
things you love. It’s more about doing things that are good for your heart—in
more ways than one. Here is some advice on how to be more heart-healthy:
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Make changes to lower your cholesterol. Consuming a healthier diet is a step in
the right direction. The key to lowering your cholesterol is limiting the
amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet. Some foods to cut back on
include: meats high in saturated fat, butter, fried foods, whole milk, and
certain baked goods. There are many delicious and nutritious foods that help
keep cholesterol levels in check. For breakfast, try oatmeal topped with fresh
fruit and nuts or peanut butter on a whole-wheat English muffin with a sliced
banana.
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Keep your blood pressure down. Reducing your sodium intake is one of the best
ways to lower your blood pressure. Other effective ways to maintain a healthy
blood pressure include minimizing stress, exercising consistently, and
consuming foods low in fat and high in fiber.
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Increase your activity level by incorporating heart-smart activities into your
daily routine. From dancing to golfing to swimming, any type of activity gets
more oxygen into your blood stream and helps you get rid of free radicals,
which can damage cells and accelerate the progression of cancer, cardiovascular
disease, and age-related diseases.
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Get to know the symptoms of a heart attack. The symptoms for men and women can
be very different, so it’s important to be aware of how the symptoms differ.
The most common symptoms include chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, cold
sweats, a feeling of impending doom, and numbness or discomfort in either the
arm or hand. Women are more likely to have symptoms such as shortness of
breath, heartburn, nausea, jaw pain, back pain, and fatigue.
Living a heart-healthy lifestyle is not complicated—it just takes
self-discipline and positive thinking. There are many small things you can do
to help your heart, and once you get accustomed to heart-smart practices,
you’ll realize how rewarding heart-healthy living can be!
