Healthy Heart Lifestyle Tips
By Sara Butler
You may not think about protecting your heart on a daily basis, but you really should. Heart disease kills more Americans than any other disease each year and most of those deaths could have been prevented with a few lifestyle changes early on. Ultimately, if you commit to changing a few things about the way you live, then you won't need to make a conscious effort to be heart healthy -- it'll just happen. Here are a few easy changes you can make starting today for the health of your heart.
Workout
It's easy to say you're going to work out, but how do you actually make it happen? The key is to schedule it. If you can schedule regular movement into your day, then you have a better chance of sticking with it in the long run. Plus, exercise can help to manage your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol -- all things that contribute to heart disease if you don't keep up with them.
Put 30 minutes of exercise in your schedule at least five days per week. Even something as simple as taking a walk can make a big difference.
Get an Activity Tracker
Activity trackers are a great way to keep tabs on what you're doing and also to motivate you to do more. And anything that helps you to get moving is good, since being sedentary can lead to chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, both huge factors in heart disease.
Fill Your Plate Right
When you sit down for a meal, at least half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables. The fiber and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables can help to contribute to your overall health, so make them the star of the plate and your meal. Then, fill the rest of your plate with a lean protein such as chicken or fish and whole grains such as quinoa. Skip highly processed and refined carbohydrates and leave out the trans fats.
Quit Soda
Sure, soda may taste good but it's incredibly bad for you. Studies have found that added sugar in the diet contributes directly to heart disease and soda is one of the biggest culprits of slipping added sugars into the average diet. If you can cut out the soda, then it can make a huge impact on your heart health.
Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to your heart health, so do what you can to make improvements.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Rowlett, Tex.