February is Heart Health Month and it’s the perfect time to start or continue building your heart-healthy habits. Living a healthy lifestyle can help your heart be healthier and reduce your risk for heart disease. Here are some tips to help you maintain a healthy heart.
Choose Healthy Habits
- Eat and Drink Healthy –
- Choose healthy foods such as those high in fiber such as fresh fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat and trans-fat, can help prevent high cholesterol. Avoid deli meats.
- Limit salt because salt is known to raise blood pressure.
- Limit sugar intake to lower blood sugar levels and prevent/control diabetes.
- Limit alcohol which can raise your blood pressure.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight – when you are overweight or obese, you are at risk for heart disease. Even losing 5 pounds makes a difference.
- Exercise Regularly – Regular, sustained, physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels. Even 10 minutes a day is beneficial.
- Don’t Smoke! – Cigarette smoke is the number one risk for heart disease. If you smoke and want to quit, contact your IMA Primary Care Provider who can help you with a Quit Smoking Action Plan.
Schedule Your Annual Exam and Take Control of Your Medical Conditions
- When you schedule your annual exam, this is an opportunity for your IMA Primary Care Provider to go over your medical history, screen for any medical conditions and help provide an action plan to care for any medical conditions detected.
Should you have any questions regarding your heart’s health, you can schedule a visit with your IMA Primary Care Provider to go over your concerns.