Each year, millions of people in the United States resolve to make changes. Whether it’s losing weight, quitting smoking, exercising more, or drinking less, each can improve your cardiovascular health.
So, this year, we’re proposing that you reframe your New Year’s resolution to one that puts your heart health at the top. If you consider that nearly half of adults in the US (about 48%) have cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in our country, this reframing can be life-saving.
Dr. Madaiah Revana and the team here at Humble Cardiology Associates understand that the lifestyle changes needed for improving your heart health are much easier said than done, but we want to provide you with a few tips to get you started.
Before you embark on any changes in your life, we recommend that you start with mindfulness practices like meditation. This practice can relieve the stress that drives you to eat more, drink more, smoke more, and all of the other bad habits that aren’t doing your heart any favors.
Studies show that meditation can help reduce your risk for heart disease, which makes sense given that it lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, among other benefits.
And all it takes is about 10-15 minutes a day, and you can find scores of apps and videos that can help you get started.
It’s all well and good to say you’re going to exercise more, but a lack of accountability can undermine your best intentions. So, make yourself more accountable. For example, instead of just joining a gym, join some classes. Or, commit to walking for a few miles once a week with a friend. Or, join some online challenges, such as walking 365 miles in a year.
There are scores of groups, challenges, and classes that are structured in a way that keeps you engaged — and accountable.
Fad diets are tough. More often than not, you quickly gain the weight back, and sometimes gain even more. The fact is that fad diets don’t work because they don’t change eating habits in any significant way. So, instead of embarking on a three-month fad diet that won’t go the distance, make long-term changes to your eating habits.
For example, sugar can be about as addictive as cigarettes or alcohol, and about as dangerous. If you’re to do one thing that will help with weight loss and your heart-health goals, it would be to cut added sugar from your life.
Like any addiction, the first few days and weeks can be rough since your brain is craving those sweets or carbs. Do what you can to distract yourself, and as your body adjusts, these cravings will subside.
Trans fat, found in store-bought baked goods and some processed foods, isn’t good for your heart at all. Avoid trans fat completely. Limiting saturated fats can also benefit your heart health.
Healthier fats include extra-virgin olive oil and foods that contain omega-3 fats, like salmon, mackerel, herring, chia seeds, flax seeds, and walnuts. Grass-fed beef and dairy also contain some omega-3 fats. Omega-3s fight inflammation and help keep your cholesterol levels healthy.
If you want to make heart health a goal this year, then come see us so can establish a baseline and some priorities. The tips we outline above are great ways to reduce the primary risks associated with heart disease, but we want to help you target your efforts, especially if you have an underlying issue, such as high cholesterol or hypertension.
To get started, you can schedule an appointment with us at one of our two offices in Humble or Houston, Texas.
