5 Lifestyle Choices That Can Harm the Heart
By Sandy Schroeder
According to health experts at Harvard Health, there are five bad habits that can hurt the heart: smoking, being overweight, eating poorly, drinking too much, and not moving enough, can open the door to heart disease.
These are bad choices that we may make every day. Bad choices can damage arteries, upset metabolism, and negatively impact cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. Over time, a heart attack, stroke, heart disease, or heart failure can occur.
How to Turn the Choices Around
Get Moving Daily – Exercise with your doctor’s approval and stay active. Any effort is better than none. Work up to 30 minutes a day. Walking is an easy choice.
Shed Extra Weight – Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight can improve blood sugar and blood pressure. Too much belly weight taxes the heart and increases risk for diabetes.
Don’t Smoke – Tobacco smoke threatens the heart, arteries and lungs. Secondhand smoke is also toxic.
Eat Healthy – Fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy protein found in beans, nuts, poultry and fish, and whole grains are all good choices. Limit salt, processed foods, fatty red meats, sugared drinks, white bread, rice and potatoes.
Limit Alcohol – Hold it to two drinks a day for men, one a day for women.
How Your Chiropractor Can Help
As you work on healthier habits, your chiropractor is a natural choice for support. The local clinic of The Joint Chiropractic specializes in helping people seek pain relief, and learn the best wellness practices.
When you come in, you can discuss your issues, and your chiropractor will explain how spinal health works to improve overall health. Spinal adjustments correct dysfunctions in the spine.
The adjustment is a gentle application of a targeted movement to improve motion of the body’s spinal column and extremities. It may relieve pain, and provide more benefits, such as improved mental clarity, better sleep, or fresh energy.
As you assess the results, you may decide to use weekly 15-minute adjustments to keep the momentum going and pursue wellness goals. This is the time to work on weight loss, healthier diets, and new exercises and activities.
The Joint Chiropractic clinic near you makes everything simple. An affordable care program eliminates the need for insurance. Weekend and evening hours are available and walk-in visits are welcome. No appointments are needed.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.