Heart Health

1. Get active. The heart is a muscle and activity helps strengthen that muscle. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. This can be accomplished at home or in the gym. It can be structured workouts such as fitness classes or gym routines, or it can include activities such as gardening and playing with children. Almost any physical activity is better than none.
2. Eat nutritiously. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Avoid processed foods and minimize your intake of refined sugar and salt which lead to inflammation and high blood pressure. Drink plenty of water (about 3.1 liters for men and 2.1 liters for women). Healthy meals and snacks help prevent heart disease and its complications.
3. Get enough sleep. Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is the body’s physiological way of restoring itself. Chronically poor sleep has been associated with high blood pressure and heart disease. Consider your nighttime routines and whether you are getting the rest your body requires.
4. Check your blood pressure and cholesterol. High blood pressure and cholesterol are key risk factors for heart disease. Knowing your levels can help empower you to get these numbers under control. A normal blood pressure is 120/80. In general a total cholesterol of less than 200mg/dl with LDL cholesterol under 100 and HDL cholesterol 60 or higher is considered normal. Be sure to schedule your annual wellness visit with your health care provider to make sure you are on target with these measurements.
5. Manage Diabetes. If you are diabetic or prediabetic it is very important that you manage the disease. The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. Over time high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels impacting heart health.  Get Regular A1C tests to measure your average blood sugar over a 3 month period. Aim to stay in your target range