Making Your Heart the Priority

Helpful Tips for Preventing Heart Disease

1. Know your blood pressure.

According to the CDC, more than 67 million Americans have high blood pressure. The problem is that not everyone knows it. Schedule a well-woman visit today to discuss blood pressure, family history, and lifestyle with your doctor.

2. Make time to move.

Once you have an understanding of your personal health, you can start making changes to improve it. Physical activity, for one, is great for controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and even your mental outlook.

To introduce physical activity into your life, Dr. Mookherjee suggests gathering support around you, starting small and setting a deadline by signing up for an event such as a 1-mile or 5K run/walk.

“Ultimately, the best exercise is the one a person will do,” Dr. Boylan explains. That can mean walking, climbing the stairs, skiing, swimming or yoga.

3. Fill your fridge with goodness. What does it mean to “eat well?”

To Dr. Mookherjee, it’s about cooking at home. “Start with fresh produce and single ingredients, and cook from scratch instead of buying things that only require you to add water, heat, and serve.”

4. Schedule time to unwind.

“A huge part of heart health is taking time for yourself,” says Dr. Mookherjee. “Life’s stressors — worrying about our kids, our jobs, or putting food on the table — puts your fight-orflight response through the roof.”

Meditating, taking time to calm your body and mind, and simply breathing can be beneficial for stress management. Of course, making time isn’t always easy.

Dr. Mookherjee suggests that just as you train your body to exercise, you should train yourself to calm down and be restful. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of people around you.”

5. Know the signs of a heart attack.

Women may experience heart attacks differently than men, so knowing what a heart attack might look like is critical. Women may feel discomfort in their chest, between shoulder blades or in the neck and jaw; sudden and severe fatigue; sweating; nausea or vomiting, or not feeling like themselves. If you notice one or all of these symptoms, don’t hesitate, call 911.

Dr. Mookherjee explains that too many people ignore their symptoms. When a person is having a heart attack, time is muscle. The sooner blood flow can be restored, the better the outcome will be.

Small Choices for Lasting Change

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but little improvements can have a big impact. There will never be a better time than now to eat better, exercise more, and quit smoking.

“Choose a smaller portion. Choose to take the stairs. Choose to go to bed earlier,” says Dr. Boylan. “Make the choice for your own health to do something instead of thinking about it as limiting or restricting your life.”

“When we live healthier, our families get the benefit,” adds Dr. Boylan. “We can model healthy behaviors for our kids.” D