Published: February 08, 2009 01:20 pm      

Easy Ways To Improve Heart Health

By now, you’ve heard the message a million times: live healthier! But turning around your health and well-being can seem a daunting task when you’re not sure where to start. Use February, American Heart Month, as your kick-start

steps toward making your ticker (and entire body!) the healthiest it can be.Heart disease claims the most American lives each year – yes, more than cancer – but many cardiovascular conditions are easily preventable. Here are simple ways to start living better.

• Start reading labels. Don’t just throw-n-go when adding items to your cart at the grocery store. Read labels to make sure your foods don’t contain trans fats, one of the biggest whammies to your cardiovascular system. A good method to use when grocery shopping is to shop around the perimeter of the store as much as possible, avoiding the over-processed, often calorie-heavy foods in the middle that lack nutritional value. Try visiting http://checkmark.heart.org to plan out heart-healthy eats.

• Get moving – even just a little bit! You don’t have to work out to the point of making yourself sick, a la “The Biggest

Loser,” to experience the benefits of physical activity. Exercise doesn’t have to be a grueling task in order to get healthier. Just take a walk five times a week, 30 minutes a day, to lower your risk of numerous chronic conditions, including heart disease. And if you’re not overweight, that doesn’t mean your insides aren’t suffering the effects of physical inactivity. Thin does not equal healthy!

• Make some simple swaps. Whole grains, whole grains, whole grains! Don’t worry, you don’t have to nosh on nuts all day; just swap whole grain breads and pastas for regular ones, and eat brown versions of foods like rice whenever possible. When mixed in with a meal, these whole-grain versions will taste just as good as what you’re used to. Olive and canola oils are also healthier than other varieties.

• Flavor things differently. Eating heart-healthy doesn’t mean eating blandly. Use herbs and spices to flavor your food instead of regular table salt. Making your own food fromnatural ingredients helps cut out sodium, too.

• Relax. Stress can adversely affect the heart just like poor diet and lack of exercise can. Take a few moments each day to breathe; delegate tasks at work, if possible; and get plenty of sleep.

• Visit your doctor. Many of us tend to only visit ourphysicians when we’re sick, but it’s important to get those yearly check-ups, too. Have your blood pressure and cholesterol - two key factors to heart health - screened regularly.

And, perhaps most importantly, never convince yourself it’s “too late” to make your heart healthier. Even if you have pre-existing conditions, like high blood pressure or high

cholesterol, these can be treated and reversed with the

right lifestyle.