Lifestyle Counts
When it comes to your heart health, there's a lot of power in the choices you make — perhaps none more so than the lifestyle decisions you make each day. Whether it's cooking with olive oil instead of lard or butter, taking the steps instead of taking the elevator, or reaching for a handful of low-fat snacks instead of a bag of potato chips, these little choices can add up and make a big difference. Below you'll find some recommendations on what steps you can take to help reduce your heart disease risk.
Diet
Even if you're at a healthy weight, watching what you eat is crucial because a diet that is too high in saturated fats or cholesterol can affect your cholesterol levels, elevate your blood pressure, and increase your risk for heart disease. To eat a more heart-healthy diet:
- Avoid high-fat foods like fatty red meats, butter, lard, tropical oils (coconut, palm, palm kernel), bacon, whole milk, and whole-milk dairy products (cheese, some yogurts, sour cream, ice cream)
- Replace animal fats with vegetable oils — use vegetable oil or olive oil instead of butter or lard
- Eat more low-fat foods — fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken (skinless), and lean meats; whole-grain cereals, pastas, and rice; fat-free or low-fat milk; and fat-free or low-fat yogurt
- Lower your daily salt intake, especially if you have high blood pressure
- Watch your sugars, starches, and alcohol
Learn more about smart food choices and changing to a heart-healthy diet.
Exercise
Exercise can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease, as well as your weight and your stress levels. Experts recommend 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. If that sounds too hard to do, start slowly. Even a walk around the block is a great way to start adding more activity. Remember to always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.
Learn more about exercise tips and becoming more actve.
Stress
Some evidence suggests there is a link between daily stress and heart disease. If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to try to manage it better. For instance, try to:
- Make sure you get enough sleep
- Avoid caffeine, especially late in the day
- Take deep breaths when you feel stressed out
- Carve out some time to relax every day, even if it's just a few minutes
Alcohol
According to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), moderate drinking — one or two drinks per day for men and one for women — can help reduce the risk for coronary heart disease. But drinking excessively increases blood pressure. So, if you do drink, drink in moderation.
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