Many risk factors for heart disease and stroke are in your control, including diet. Consider the following ways to help keep your heart healthy:
• Maintain a healthy weight. Keeping your weight in check isn’t easy, but the payoff to your heart is worth it. Managing your weight through diet and exercise can help reduce high blood pressure.
•Reduce stress. Stress can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke — and even that’s something to stress over. Everyone can get stressed from time to time, so learn what your stressors are and find coping strategies.
• Get moving. Exercise does much more than get your heart rate up. Adding regular activity into your routine can also help manage weight, encourage healthy eating habits and reduce stress.
• Eat well. Making heart-healthy choices doesn’t have to be boring or bland. Including more plant-based foods in your routine is a good place to begin. If you have one or more habits that are working against you, now is as good a time as any to set a course for better health. Here are some strategies to consider:
• Set goals. Having specific, achievable goals is a key strategy for successful change. Goals that involve behaviours tend to work better than physiological goals.
• Track your progress. With all the things you have to remember each day, it’s hard to know whether you are meeting your daily goals. Track your exercise with a notebook, a computer, or a smartphone app.
• Motivation. Changing a habit or behaviour is easier if you have a good reason for doing it. Motivation can be something big, like getting in shape for a walking trip with a grandchild, or small, like fitting into a slimmer suit for a wedding. The more personal the motivator, the better.
• Get support. Starting a change isn’t nearly as challenging as sticking with it. Support from family, friends, or a doctor can provide feedback and encouragement.
