6 essential habits that will boost your family’s heart health

Humans are creatures of habit.

Once we get in a groove, we often don’t even have to think about it. We’ll continue that habit, good or bad, without even giving it much thought.

There are certain things that, if done consistently, can benefit your heart and overall health. They sound basic — things like eat healthy, get enough sleep, exercise — and they are. But good habits are much easier to accomplish consistently if they’re engrained in your usual routine.

One thing to keep in mind is that heart-healthy habits build on each other. Exercising and eating healthy will help you drop pounds and lower cholesterol, which will lower blood pressure, for example. Creating one healthy habit could help you meet multiple goals.

If the list looks daunting, remember that you don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, you’ll increase your chances of success if you tackle one habit at a time. Consistency will result in progress.

Build these choices into your family’s routine:

1. Eat heart-healthy food. Work heart-healthy food into your meal rotation by adding recipe tweaks or trying new things. Consuming monounsaturated fats — found in avocados, nuts, seeds and olive oil — and polyunsaturated fats — found in oily fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, and certain oils like canola and sunflower — can help lower “bad” cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

   Choose a low-fat, low-sodium diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Opt for lean meats, fish (salmon), poultry, low-fat dairy, beans and peas. Read your food labels, checking the portion size and contents for sodium and saturated fats, and avoid processed foods.

2. Exercise. The American Heart Association recommends getting 150 minutes of exercise each week (or about 30 minutes five days a week). Regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure by up to 5 to 8 mm/Hg. It can also improve your mental health and help reduce stress. Consider walking, jogging or bicycling to stay active. Strength training twice a week can also help reduce your blood pressure.
3. Get just enough sleep. Too little sleep (less than 5 hours per night) or too much sleep (more than 9 hours per night) can increase your risk of heart disease. The sweet spot? Between 7-9 hours.
4. De-stress. High stress levels can negatively affect your health. If you can, avoid things that trigger stress or find positive ways to deal with those stress triggers. Try practicing gratitude and make time for activities you enjoy.
5. Monitor your numbers. This habit is an annual one. Make an appointment for a yearly checkup with your primary care doctor, which will include checks of your blood pressure, weight and cholesterol. Since some cardiovascular risk factors have no symptoms, like high blood pressure, it’s essential to have these checked and monitored for changes over time.
6. Quit tobacco and/or vaping. By now, almost everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health. Vaping isn’t a healthy alternative. Many vapes contain highly addictive nicotine along with other potentially harmful chemicals. Quitting smoking can improve not only your heart health, but your overall health.