Quick and easy ways to improve your heart health

Many of the choices you make daily directly impact your heart health. Here are five EASY lifestyle changes that will help make your heart beat healthy for many years to come.

1.      Eat smart! A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other fiber rich foods helps blood lipids stay at healthier levels. Try adding 1 extra serving of fruit or a vegetable at your next meal.

2.      Eat fish at least twice a week. Fish such as salmon is high in omega 3 fatty acids which help decrease triglyceride levels and lower blood pressure.

3.      Choose salt-free seasonings. Salting your food less and cutting down on high sodium foods will decrease your blood pressure.

4.      Walk, walk, walk. Aim for 30 minutes of cardio exercise 5 times a week. Walking for an extra 30 minutes a day will significantly improve your blood pressure.

5.      Cultivate meaningful relationships and manage stress. Building healthy relationships is an important way to improve your stress level which, in turn, will keep your heart healthier. Exercise, meditation, and taking brain breaks from technology (cell phones, tablets, computers, etc.) is also helpful for stress management.

6.      Visit your MetaClinic. The helpful staff at your nearby MetaClinic will check your heart health regularly by checking your blood pressure, evaluation of your blood lipids, and other quick, easy tests.  

The American Heart Association has many more evidence-based heart healthy recommendations on their website www.heart.org including healthy grocery lists and recipes. We at MetaClinic look forward to working with you on improving your heart health so call today to schedule a checkup at 844-774-4325 at no cost to you.