6 Heart Healthy Tips

Let's talk about your heart! 

How’s your heart feeling?

Maybe it feels great.

Maybe it feels lonely.

Maybe it feels tired.

Maybe you don’t really know! 

My guess is that if you are reading this, you want to be that person who not only feels good in the moment, but be the one who thrives for years to come. You are willing to make some lifestyle changes but you don’t want to feel like you are missing out on life’s pleasures.

You want to have some fun and luxury in your life!

Medical advances have given people longer lives, but that has not slowed the onset of many diseases, especially lifestyle diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Lifestyle diseases have the twin attributes of being both the easiest and hardest to cure. Easiest, because anyone has the potential to change their lifestyle. Hardest, because changing one's behavior is easier said than done.

“Coronary artery disease (CAD) accounts for approximately 610,000 deaths annually (estimated 1 in 4 deaths) and is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. It is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide and is associated with 17.8 million deaths annually.” Brown, J. C., Gerhardt, T. E., & Kwon, E. (2022). Risk Factors For Coronary Artery Disease. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.

The good news is that you can take simple small steps towards a healthier, longer life.

 Let’s first take a look at some of the obstacles you or those you know are facing. Then let's move quickly onto the solutions! 

Challenges you may experience when creating a healthier lifestyle

• Many unhealthy foods have highly addictive ingredients like sugar and salt.

• If we don’t feel good or have low energy, it’s hard to be motivated to exercise regularly, and sitting for long periods of time makes it worse even if you do exercise.

• These days it’s hard to escape stressful situations and news.

• Nurturing healthy relationships seems harder than ever now.

• There is so much diet, exercise and stress management  information out there that it is confusing!

There are many reasons why it’s hard to make changes. It takes more than will power! Our brains are wired to resist change. Addictions can be very difficult to break…

“… in some individuals, lifestyle change alone is sufficient to lower moderately elevated cholesterol levels.” Janse Van Rensburg W. J. (2018). Lifestyle Change Alone Sufficient to Lower Cholesterol in Male Patient With Moderately Elevated Cholesterol: A Case Report. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 13(2), 148–155. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827618806841

Simple Healthy Steps You Can Take Now:

1. Get some support! 

It’s hard to do it on your own. Joining communities that support you and offer friendship will go a long way. Having a medical professional and/or coach can help. My favorite type of support - a yoga therapist. I may be biased as I am a yoga therapist and I train and mentor yoga therapists around the world. Yoga Therapists are experts in Lifestyle and helping you to make lifestyle changes.

2. Start small if you need to. 

Consistency is most important. Create small changes that stick then add more.

3. You do not have to be perfect! 

I have heard it often said that as long as you are on target with the foods you eat, your exercise and how you rest and manage stress 80% of the time you will do well and be more likely to stick with the changes you make for the long term.

4. Do simple yoga that works for you.

A population-based health survey, in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota,  showed that people who did yoga had an easier time achieving their health goals from diet to exercise. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Volume 15, Article number: 42 (2018)  The trick is to find the right yoga that works for you.

5. Add smart supplementation to your diet.

I hesitated to mention this one because it can be like opening up a whole can of worms! There is conflicting research about the efficacy of using supplements. That is because so many supplements either do not have effective ingredients or they are not in a form that is bioavailable (have an active effect on your body). Here is where getting a well-trained Wellness Advocate can help you. Take this quiz and get some answers! 

6. Calming yourself helps everything!

Using a certified pure essential oil, like Rose can calm your heart, calm your mind and make life healthier on your heart and easier for  you to calmly make lifestyle choices in your best interest. Hongratanaworakit T. (2009). Relaxing effect of rose oil on humans. Natural product communications, 4(2), 291–296. 

Breathing exercises, meditation and yoga are great for stress reduction. Just be sure that you find the right teacher and the right style for you, your needs and preferences.

Heart disease may be reversed in some cases, and your cardiovascular health can improve.  ALWAYS work with your doctor and never go off medicines without their advice. At your next check-up ask your doctor how your heart is faring. 

Having more data on your heart health, can let you know where you stand. From there it makes it easier to know what steps you need to take.

Do you need more stress reduction to help lower your blood pressure?

Is your diet too high in refined foods and sugar causing unhealthy blood sugar spikes which are affecting your heart health? 

Are you looking for a community of support and programs that feed your needs?

Look no farther then Living Wisely, Living Longer, Living with Love. We point you in the right direction, help you keep on track and cheer you on! All are welcome.

In February the month of love take some time to care about your heart… 

To find out more about your heart’s health take our free cardio-metabolic quiz to get started.