Every year, heart disease accounts for 1 in 4 deaths, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women. This month, we wanted to talk about some of the things that you can do to lower your risk of developing a heart disease. Even small changes to your daily routine can make a significant impact on your long-term heart health. A healthy lifestyle is one of the best weapons to protect against heart disease. Studies show that just 30 minutes of activity a day can help improve your heart health. Although it may seem like a small change, many of us find it difficult to incorporate the change into our busy lives. Doctors recommend finding an activity you enjoy and plan to do it regularly. Activities can include moderate walking, gardening, golfing, dancing, and more. If it’s hard to schedule regular exercise sessions, look for ways to incorporate short bursts of activity into your daily routine, like parking farther away and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions. Being more cognizant of and adapting our daily routines can go a long way in protecting and carrying on our living legacy. – Hunter
YOUR LIFE
Typically, during February we think about love, but what about the actual organ behind it, the heart? When it comes to heart health, there can be a broad range of recommendations from anyone to everyone. “They said its good for me… They told me I should drink this… I read this article in Men’s Health… My chiropractor said…” Not to discredit these sources and articles, I just have a hard time filtering out information and advice. Ultimately the goal is to stay healthy. We all know the importance of the heart but one thing I didn’t realize was the fact that it’s a muscle. We know how to keep muscles strong; we need to exercise them. Being active and getting your heart rate up, allows the heart to stay in shape so it can be strong throughout our lives. We know that muscles need healthy foods to keep them strong and unhealthy fats weigh them down. It is eye opening to see Western culture’s habits that directly contradict our most primal instinct, to stay alive. Western medicine is great to fix problems and has the most technologically advanced “Band-aids” in the world, but we still rank 26th in the world on life expectancy. Instead of focusing on fixing a problem, we need more intention around the healthy habits we can control, such as skipping the cookie aisle at the grocery store or making time for a daily walk. Coming off the start of the year, many of us have made health goals. Now is a great time to realize the importance of breaking unhealthy habits and focusing on loving our heart a little more – it will remember it. – Travis
YOUR LEGACY
If you’re angry, anxious, tense, frustrated, frightened, or depressed, your body’s natural response is to release stress hormones. These responses can raise your heart rate, constrict blood vessels, and increase blood sugar. The “fight or flight” response is thought to date back to prehistoric times, when people needed extra bursts of energy to escape predators. Stress can be managed in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Some people deal with it by smoking, drinking, and overeating ‑- all of which are unhealthy habits that can lead to heart disease. However, using healthy ways to keep your stress under control can help you protect against heart disease and other conditions. Exercise. Go for a walk, ride a bike, swim, or attend a gym class. Breathe deeply. Take a few deep breaths, or meditate, to bring your heart rate down and calm your body. Take a break. Spend a few minutes alone, write in a journal, listen to music, or refocus on something else. Hang with friends. Social media is no substitute for being with people you love. Research has suggested that social connections can also help protect against high blood pressure. If you struggle with stress, anger, anxiety, worry, depression, or other related problems, it could be worth talking to your doctor. Together, you can explore options that could best protect your emotional well being, your brain, and your heart. – Kaylyn