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Heart Health Tips

February is the American Heart Month. The American Heart Association encourages spreading awareness about heart disease and how to prevent it. Here are some simple tips to help improve heart health.

1) Get Regular Health Screenings

It is important to monitor blood pressure, cholesterol, and get diabetes screenings. If blood pressure is high it must be treated and blood pressure screens are recommended at least once every two years. Diabetes is a risk factor for contracting heart disease so you may want to go through a diabetes screening depending on your risk factors.

2) Don't Smoke or Use Tobacco- Avoid Secondhand Smoke

Avoiding smoke is one of the best things you can do for your heart. Smoking damages the walls of blood vessels that supply blood to your body and heart by reducing the amount of oxygen in your blood. According to the American Heart Association, "exposure to tobacco smoke contributes to about 34,000 premature heart disease deaths and 7,300 lung cancer deaths each year. And nonsmokers who have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol have an even greater risk of developing heart disease when they’re exposed to secondhand smoke."

3) Make Heart Conscious Diet Choices

Choose healthy fats like like olive oil or avocados over trans fats like red meat or dairy products. Easy choices can include trying to eat one extra fruit or vegetable per day and taking time to read food labels to avoid trans fats.

4) Sleep

Seven to nine hours of sleep is recommended by most health professionals. According to the Mayo Clinic " People who don't get enough sleep have a higher risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression."

5) Practice Good Dental Hygiene

According the the Cleveland Clinic "Dental health is a good indication of overall health, including your heart, because those who have periodontal (gum) disease often have the same risk factors for heart disease." Flossing and brushing your teeth daily can help ward off these health risks.

6) Move

Moving can be as simple as taking a quick ten minute walk. Avoid sitting for long periods of time. Here are a few easy ways to keep moving throughout the day; park farther away from the office, take a few shorter walks throughout the day, standing when possible, taking the stairs, and doing tasks around the house like cleaning and gardening.

7) Breathe Deeply

Breathing slowly and deeply for a few minutes throughout the day can help you relax and may help lower blood pressure.

More American Heart Month Resources can be found here.

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