The term heart disease covers many different ailments that may affect, not only your heart, but also your blood vessels or even the way your heart beats. It’s synonymous with cardiovascular disease. As a result of the many conditions it covers, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. It’s also 100% preventable. Therefore, we dedicated an entire month to heart healthy habits.

February is known as American Heart Month. During this awareness month, it’s best to make an extra effort in order to achieve a healthier heart. The reason heart disease is so high in this country is because it takes some careful examination of your diet and activity in order to maintain your cardiovascular health. February is the perfect month to whip yourself into shape. Below are some healthy tips you can turn into habits to make sure heart disease does not affect you!

Check your Blood Pressure
One of the leading causes of heart attacks or strokes is high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are more than 4 times as likely to die from strokes and 3 times more likely to die from heart attacks. There are really no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure. You’ll only know it was too high too late. That’s why it’s important to always get screened when you visit your doctor. They will let you know where you are, where you should be, and what you need to do if it is in fact too high.

If you are worried about having high blood pressure, but can’t get to the doctor quicker than you’d like, some things you can do to reduce your blood pressure are:

1. Quit smoking. Smoking restricts your blood vessels making it harder for blood to travel throughout your body. As a result, your blood pressure shoots through the roof.
2. Limit your sodium intake. Sodium causes your body to hold on to extra water. This extra water places strain on your body and increases blood pressure. This extra blood pressure then places strain on your arteries causing them to thicken, which decreases flow and increases blood pressure even more. It’s a lose-lose.

Keep Moving
It’s no secret that the more you exercise the less likely you are to be affected by heart disease, and yet people still don’t do it. For only 30 minutes a day, you can greatly decrease your chances of a stroke or heart attack by simply walking, jogging, or performing some kind of resistance training. By doing so, you’re keeping the blood flowing, reducing your chances of problem #1 mentioned above. Not to mention, it reduces your cholesterol, causing your blood to flow more freely throughout the blood vessels, which again, leads to decreased blood pressure.

Watch Your Diet
As mentioned in the section about blood pressure, sodium is bad for your cardiovascular health. A diet that includes minimum salt and sodium, but a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, and grains is key to maintaining weight and your overall health. It is also important to get your protein, however. You can’t cut meats out of your diet altogether, even though they contain a decent amount of sodium. A little bit of everything will not hurt you. Nevertheless, red meat is definitely the worst for you. You should eat it in moderation. White meat is a little better for you, and fish is really good for you.

Fish contains many healthy nutrients such as Omega 3’s. These nutrients are a form of fatty acids that are actually healthy for you! They aid in brain AND heart health. Unfortunately, due to ocean contamination, eating fish everyday of every week is not recommended. However, eating it once or twice a week will yield some healthy results.

Start Celebrating Today
February is the perfect month to start building a lifetime of heart healthy habits. Let American Heart Month be your reason to get in shape, eat healthy, and be a little more conscious about your health. Heart disease may be the leading cause of death in America, but we can change that. We can bring those numbers down together and prevent this disease altogether!