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Tiffany | February 14, 2021 | 0 Comments | General Health |
From a young age, we know that our hearts are an important organ in our body. Hearts have the vital role of pumping blood to the different parts of our body. Without our heart, well, it wouldn't be good. Because of the sheer necessity of what our heart does, and the unfortunate prevalence of heart disease in America, American Heart Association began a campaign in February about heart health, and awareness surrounding it.
Heart health is not a "one-stop shop", but rather is a bunch of health-related lifestyle decisions that can be made daily. This ensures we are helping to keep our heart in tip-top shape. I'm pulling most of this information from the American Heart website, and I highly recommend you check it out. There's a ton of great sources and tidbits of knowledge that can be applied to anyone's life!
As I'm writing this blog on Valentine's Day, I can't help but have thoughts of cupcakes and chocolates dancing in my head. The truth is, we are constantly surrounded by temptations for less-than-nutritious food where we turn. It can be hard to make healthful decisions, and no one gets it right every single day. By making a conscientious effort to eat healthfully, you're helping to improve your blood work, receive all the vitamins and nutrients you need daily, and it may even help you shed a few unwanted pounds. Other tips and tricks for nutrition include:
Physical activity, or exercise, is great for the entire body, but especially for the heart. The recommended amount of 150 minutes of moderate activity (heart should be pumping!) comes out to just over 20 minutes a day. This is a great way to help with reducing stress, improving overall body image, weight management and heart health. Some other tips to help make exercise a part of your heart-healthy lifestyle are:
Ommmm...find your zen...It seems like EVERYONE has so much going on in their lives. Between work, school, kids, appointments, pets, etc. we need more than 24 hours in a day! It's important to keep your stress levels in check to avoid the potential health concerns that can come with chronic stress. Some of those stresses include sleep issues, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression and more. It can be hard to find time for yourself and stress management. A few ideas for stress management are:
The last topic I want to address is about alcohol and smoking. I know 3 seconds ago you read my blurb about relaxing with a glass of wine so you might be thinking, "um, what?". While Consuming more than the recommended amount of alcohol a day can be detrimental to your health, an occasional drink or two is in moderation. While there is a little leeway with alcohol, there's really nothing good that comes from smoking and the negative effects on your health and on your heart. There are many resources available for individuals who smoke (many are free) and your health care provider can help determine the best route of action for you and quitting.
Heart health is something we can always work towards, and be making changes daily. While February is dedicated to awareness of heart disease and health of our heart, it really should be a year-round though. Much of heart disease is contributed to lifestyle factors, which is a daily decision we make. Hopefully you are thinking of what you can be doing today to help improve the health of your heart.