Top 5 Proven Strategies to Protect Your Heart Health

Keep Your Heart Healthy

Heart disease is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Though some of the condition’s risk factors like age and family history cannot be helped or reversed, others like poor diet and lifestyle habits can. If you’re wondering how to keep your heart healthy, the team at CardioNow can help. We have put together a helpful guide about why heart health is critical to your overall health and well-being and actions you can take today to improve it. By practicing the following methods and lifestyle changes, you may prevent current and future heart conditions from complicating your life.

The Importance of Heart Health

Your heart is like your body’s power source. It pumps blood, nutrients, and oxygen throughout it, ensuring organs and tissues work properly. That’s why keeping it healthy is crucial. Here are some of the key benefits to keeping your heart healthy:

• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Heart disease is a leading cause of death. Maintaining heart health can prevent conditions like strokes, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease.
• Improved Brain Function: When blood flows properly to the brain, it delivers the right amount of oxygen and nutrients to it, improving cognitive function and clarity.
• A Better Life: If your heart is healthy, you’ll likely have more energy, stamina, and enthusiasm for daily activities, improving your overall quality of life and happiness.

5 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

The following is a list of proven ways to support a healthy heart and quality of life:

1. Eat and Drink Heart-Healthy Foods

Ensure your diet is made up of primarily heart-healthy foods. Either cut out or reduce your intake of sodium, trans fats, and sugar. The staples of a heart-positive diet include the following:

• Fiber-rich whole grains, like whole-grain bread, brown rice, and oats.
• Oily fish, such as salmon and sardines.
• Fruits, berries, vegetables. And juices made from these foods.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Legumes, like beans, lentils, and chickpeas.

2. Exercise and Move Your Body Daily

Generally, it’s recommended that you exercise and move your body for at least 30 to 60 minutes each day. Bodily movement can strengthen the heart muscle, improve blood circulation, and reduce bad cholesterol in your body. If you can’t exercise for this amount of time every day, don’t worry. Even five minutes of movement, like walking, can make a positive difference overtime. Consult your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.

3. Practice Mental Health and Stress Management Techniques

Our daily lives are filled with stressors. But if they are allowed to dominate, they can have negative impacts on the heart. Mental and emotional disorders like anxiety and depression have been linked to and are risk factors of heart disease. Here’s what you can do to alleviate stress and its effect on your heart:

• Practice breathing, meditation, relaxation, and mindfulness exercises.
• Get plenty of exercise and physical activity.
• Seek therapy and counseling for anxiety, depression, or stress.
• Avoid food as a coping mechanism for mental or emotional stress, which can lead to overeating.

4. Limit or Quit Smoking or Tobacco Use

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco do nothing but bad things for your heart. Tobacco chemicals can damage your blood vessels, while smoke lowers the blood’s oxygen levels. The hearts of smokers must work harder to pump blood and nutrients into the body and brain. So, if you smoke or use tobacco products, we recommend quitting or significantly limiting those activities as soon as possible. Doing so will make a positive difference to your heart and overall lifestyle.

5. Get Your Heart Tested Regularly

As with any condition, going to medical professionals for routine examinations and checkups is crucial. Cardiac services include assessment, diagnosis, and monitoring of heart disease with the goal of preventing issues before they occur or worsen. Some of the cutting-edge cardiac testing we provide includes the following:

• Coronary Calcium Score: This technology finds heart plaque buildup early.
• Coronary CT Angiography (CTA): Offers calcified and non-calcified plaque detection and analysis.
• Cardiac PET: A comprehensive test for heart stress and chest pain testing.
• Mobile Cardiac Telemetry: A mobile device that continuously checks and records the heart’s electrical activity and rhythm in real time.
• Echocardiogram: Through echocardiograms, we can screen for signs of heart failure and valvular issues.

Why Choose CardioNow

Whether you want to relieve your current cardiac condition or prevent them from occurring, you can count on us to provide the following benefits to you:

• Easy Access to Care: With cutting-edge heart health diagnostics offered in-house, our team can give you top-quality cardiac care without referring to or sending you elsewhere.
• Comprehensive Cardiac Services: From diagnostics and testing to lifestyle guidance, we provide holistic services to support current and future heart health.
• Treating Many Conditions: We evaluate, monitor, and treat many cardiac conditions, including heart failure and coronary artery disease. We’re your primary source for heart and cardiac care.

Choose Our Cardiologists to Protect Your Heart

Are you concerned about your current cardiac or heart condition? Would you like to seek preventive care for your peace of mind? CardioNow is here to help you. Our team has years of experience helping all types of patients improve their heart health. During your first appointment, our team will learn about your current heart condition and cardiovascular goals, enabling us to develop a customized treatment plan. Contact us today to take the first step toward improving your heart health.