As American Heart Health Month comes to a close, Henry Community Health wants to ensure that you are equipped to carry on heart healthy habits through the rest of the year.
Keep reading to learn more about how exercise, nutrition, testing, and stress management can help you keep a healthy heart!
Exercise
You don’t need to be an Olympian to protect your heart; simply incorporating consistent, moderate movement into your daily routine can dramatically lower your risk of heart disease. One of the top risk factors in developing heart disease is having a sedentary lifestyle. With small lifestyle changes and moderate exercise you can decrease your risk over time. The American Heart Association recommends adults complete 150 minutes of moderate exercise spread throughout the week.
Try things such as:
- Walking
- Water aerobics
- Dancing
- Weight lifting
Need a group setting to get motivated? Try one of our available workout classes at HealthRidge Wellness Center.
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a key role in the development of many heart and cardiovascular diseases. Simplify heart-healthy eating by moving away from complex calculations and focusing on habits that can be maintained. Here are some tips and tricks from our Henry Community Health dietitians:
Use the “plate method”
Instead of counting every gram of fat or sodium, visualize your plate at every meal:
- Fill 1/2 with Produce: Focus on non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, leafy greens, peppers) and whole fruits.
- Fill 1/4 with Lean Protein: Opt for fish (especially fatty fish like salmon), beans, lentils, tofu, or skinless poultry.
- Fill 1/4 with Whole Grains: Choose brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, or 100% whole-wheat products over white bread and pasta.
Make “one-for-one” swaps
Small, recurring changes often have the biggest impact over time:
- Cooking Fat: Swap butter or lard for liquid plant oils like olive or canola oil.
- Dairy: Choose reduced fat milk and non-fat Greek yogurt instead of whole-fat versions.
- Seasoning: Use lemon juice, vinegar, or dried herbs (like garlic, cilantro, and cumin) instead of the salt shaker to reduce sodium.
- Drinks: Replace soda and juice with water or sparkling water with a splash of citrus.
Streamline meal prep
Reducing the “effort” of healthy eating makes it easier to stick to:
- Buy Pre-Cut Produce: Frozen or pre-washed bagged vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh and save significant time. Just check for “no added salt” on labels.
- Batch Cook Staples: Prepare a large pot of brown rice, beans, or roasted vegetables once or twice a week to use as a base for multiple meals.
- Sheet-Pan Suppers: Roast a protein (like salmon or chicken) and several vegetables on a single tray for minimal cleanup.
Don’t know where to start and need some meal inspiration? Here are some trusted websites to help you find some quick healthy inspiration!
Decode Labels Quickly
If a food comes in a package, look for these two red flags:
- Sodium: Aim for less than 2,300 mg per day. Choose items labeled “low sodium” or “no salt added.”
- Added Sugars: Limit to less than 10% of total calories. Check the “Added Sugars” line on the FDA Nutrition Facts Label.
Looking for more assistance with nutrition? Reach out to the HCH Nutrition Team at 765-521-1415 to schedule an appointment.
Stress Management
When you are under stress your muscles tense, your blood pressure rises, and your heart beats faster all making your heart work harder. Continued amounts of stress on your body and heart will increase your risk of getting heart disease.
Here are some of the top tips our HCH Cardiopulmonary Rehab team gives its participants to ensure they know the steps to better stress management!
- Organize yourself – control the way you spend time and figure out what you want to prioritize
- Change your mind – focus on retraining your brain to thinking positively and let go of things that are holding you back
- Build your body – Focus on fueling and taking care of your body through nutrition and exercise
Think you need more help with stress management? Contact your primary care provider today to see what’s best for you!
Staying on top of your health
If you or your family have a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, you should consider regular testing to ensure you catch any early signs of heart disease. Consult with your primary care provider on what testing is but for you, but some to consider are:
- Blood Tests – to measure or get a baseline of your cholesterol
- Coronary Calcium Scan (also known as a heart scan) – to measure the plaque and calcium build up inside your arteries
- Stress Tests – to see how your heart handles stress during exercise
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) – to determine any irregular rhythm of the heart
- Echocardiogram – an ultrasound of the heart to view the valves