Would you like to reduce your risk of heart disease? Making a few lifestyle changes and visiting your Arlington, TX, cardiologist, Dr. Atif Sohail of Heart & Sleep Clinics of America can help you improve your heart health.
5 ways you can protect your heart
These steps will help you keep your heart healthy and lower the likelihood that you'll develop heart disease or experience a heart attack:
- Improve Your Diet: Eliminate or limit foods high in saturated or trans fats, like bacon, red meat, pork, hot dogs, cheese, poultry with the skin on, butter, cookies and other treats, fast food, crackers, and chips. These fats can increase your bad cholesterol level while lowering your good cholesterol level and may also raise your diabetes risk. Switch to foods made with healthier fats, like olive or canola oil, and increase the amount of lean meat, poultry, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables you eat.
- Make Exercise Part of Your Routine: Exercise reduces your blood pressure, lowers stress, improves circulation, strengthens your heart, and reduces your risk of heart attack, heart disease, coronary artery disease, and high cholesterol. Adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities two or more days per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Lose Weight: Excess weight stresses your heart, increasing your risk of heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. Dropping extra pounds can help you protect your heart and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Reduce Your Stress Level: It may be impossible to eliminate stress from your life, but you can take steps to keep it under control. Making time for hobbies and activities you enjoy can help you reduce stress, as can exercise and stress-relief practices, like yoga and meditation.
- See Your Cardiologist: A visit to your Arlington heart doctor is a good idea if you're concerned about your heart health or already have a condition that affects your heart. Regular medical care can help you lower your risk of developing heart disease or other related conditions.
Make your heart health a priority! Call your cardiologist in Arlington, TX, Dr. Atif Sohail of Heart & Sleep Clinics of America, at (817) 419-7220 to schedule your appointment.