Informaton from the American Heart Association

Each year in February, the American Heart Association tries to educate people on heart-healthy lifestyles. When we are young we often do not think about our future health and there may come a time when we are middle-aged and it dawns on us: we should have taken better care of our hearts. Is it too late?

“It doesn’t matter if you’re old or you’re young, you can still improve your health regardless of where you’re coming from,” said Dr. Charles German, director of preventive cardiology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. “And it’s never too late to start working on those heart-healthy habits.”

These are the Top Seven Things to do to Have a Healthy Heart

1. Just stand up and move

The foundation of heart health is a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Charles German said. And that means staying active.

But you don’t have to start by training for a marathon. Just reducing the amount of time you spend sitting counts as a good first step toward better heart health, he said.

“A lot of times people will say, ‘Oh, Doc, I just don’t have time to exercise,’” he said. “Any movement is better than none. More movement is better than some, but for those folks who are very sedentary, even light-intensity walking is great for heart health.”

Just getting up throughout the course of the day, cumulatively, counts toward the total, he said, even if you don’t have time to go to the gym to do dedicated exercise. (Making time to go to the gym, even on the weekends, is of course a good idea, experts say.)

2. Read the nutrition label

The American Heart Association recommends a heart-healthy diet that includes various types of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Added sugar, salt and fried foods should be limited. They advocate a Mediterranean-style diet as healthiest for cardiovascular health.

But German acknowledged that if you’re not there yet, “I don’t think it’s realistic for someone to go from imperfect to perfect diet” overnight.

His advice is to begin by paying attention to food labels.

“Look at the amount of sodium,” he said. “That’s how you can gauge how much salt you’re taking in.” The Association recommends limiting sodium to no more than 2,300 milligrams a day – about 1 teaspoon, with an optimal goal of no more than 1,500 mg a day for most adults.

3. Take a stress-reducing walk

Stress is linked to behaviors that raise the risk for heart disease and stroke. So it’s important to find healthy ways to relax,  whether it’s meditation, reading a book or learning a stress-reducing breathing technique. A stress-reducing walk at a leisurely pace can help.

4. Check your numbers, starting with cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure

The first two require checking in with a health professional, but many drugstores have a blood pressure monitor on site.

5. Try this tip for better sleep

Sleep is essential for heart health. Most adults need seven to nine hours a night.

“But how do you do that?” German asked. “It can be very challenging.”

He recommends starting by trying to be consistent about bedtime and waking up.

“We all have an internal circadian rhythm,” he said. If you’re going to bed at different times every night and waking up at different times every day, “you’re never going to get into that pattern.”

Help yourself by dimming the lights (which includes screens) and paying attention to room temperature.

“It seems people sleep better when it’s a little bit colder,” said German.

6. If you’re prescribed medications, take them

“That’s incredibly important,” German said.

But many people who start taking important medications such as cholesterol-lowering statins soon stop. German said many factors, some beyond a patient’s control, affect whether a person continues to take medications. But people can help themselves by getting into the habit of taking a medication at the same time every day. If a prescription label suggests timing that’s inconvenient, he said, you often can work with your doctor to find a better one.

7. Remember: It all adds up

A lot of the risk factors for heart disease and stroke are invisible, German said. “High blood pressure, high cholesterol – those are silent risk factors until it’s too late.”

Taking steps toward prevention, whether it’s staying on track with prescriptions or making lifestyle adjustments that lower risks, is about more than just living longer, he said. “It’s also about living with a healthy heart, healthy mind, healthy body as you age.”

To read the entire article on Heart.org: CLICK HERE.

Heart-Healthy Foods Recommended by the American Heart Association

A healthy eating pattern is about making smart choices every day. The American Heart Association suggests consuming these daily amounts for vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, proteins and oils.*

• Vegetables: canned, dried, fresh and frozen; 2½ cups
  • Examples: broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, carrots, corn, okra, tomatoes, onion and winter squash
• Fruits: canned, dried, fresh and frozen; 2 cups
  • Examples: banana, grapefruit, kumquats, papaya, pear, pineapple and watermelon
• Whole grains: at least half whole-grain choices; 6 ounces
  • Examples: barley, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn, sorghum and whole-wheat bread
• Dairy: low fat (1%) and fat-free; 3 cups
  • Examples: cheese, milk and yogurt
• Protein: lean choices, especially from plants and seafood; 5½ ounces
  • Examples: beans, eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, poultry, seeds and tofu
• Oils: nontropical plant sources; 2 tablespoons
  • Examples: canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower and sesame

Food should give you energy rather than weighing you down. With a few simple changes, you can make eating healthy your easiest habit.

• Limit sugary drinks, sweets, fatty meats and salty foods.
• Avoid partially hydrogenated oils, tropical oils and mindless eating.
• Replace highly processed foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, added sugar and sodium with unprocessed or minimally processed options.
• Enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from all the food groups — especially fruits and vegetables.
• Keep healthy habits even when you eat away from home.

*These recommendations are daily goals based on a 2,000-calorie/day eating pattern, which may not be appropriate for everyone. Servings equivalent may depend on form of food. For more information on serving sizes, visit heart.org/servings.

To read the entire article on Heart.org: CLICK HERE.