Beyond the Scale: 5 Heart-Healthy Resolutions for the New Year

Did you know that nearly half of all adults in the United States have some form of cardiovascular disease? Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in our country, statistics like this are concerning.

As we enter a new year, it’s an ideal time to reflect on healthy habits, which is why weight loss is one of the most common resolutions. And it’s a highly effective step in improving your cardiovascular — and overall — health. But it’s not the only one.

There are many different ways to improve your heart health that go beyond the scale, and our multidisciplinary team here at LaSante Health Center, which includes cardiology specialists, wants to share five of them with you here.

Sleep

We’re going to start with what should be an easy step, but one that’s proving to be more difficult in our hectic and busy world — getting enough sleep. 

We want you to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, but only 26% of Americans are getting these quality z’s.

Restorative sleep benefits your health on every level, and this includes your heart health. When you sleep, your heart rate goes down, as does your blood pressure. This time allows your cardiovascular system a little rest and reset each night.

So, if you’re running on little sleep each day, a good resolution is to prioritize sleep for better health.

Exercise

We can’t say enough about the importance of exercise when it comes to your cardiovascular health. Exercise not only keeps fats from building up in your blood vessels, it can go a long way toward reducing your blood pressure.

So, we ask that you put exercise near the top of your priority list — at least 30 minutes a day, and you can build up to more. 

The good news is that we live in a walking city, so take advantage of that, skipping public transportation from time to time, and use your legs. You can start by choosing a subway or bus stop that’s a little farther away, for example. Or take the stairs instead of an elevator.

Diet

The modern, processed diet is long on calories and short on nutrients, and it’s responsible for a great deal of cardiovascular disease. One of the best steps that you can take to improve your heart health is to cut out processed foods full of fat and sugar in favor of healthier fare, such as:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Lean proteins like fish and chicken
• Nuts

You can start by swapping out those sugary sodas for water and then swap out cookies for fruit and chips for veggies. You do this incrementally and slowly push your nutrition into a healthier direction 

Stress management

High stress is in abundant supply these days, and it’s taking a collective toll on our cardiovascular health. Anything you can do to minimize stress in the new year is well worth your while. Many of our patients find that walks in the park, deep breathing, meditation, and yoga are effective stress-busting practices.

Know your risks

This last item on our list is an important one — understanding your risks for cardiovascular disease.  From family history to preexisting health conditions, it’s important to identify any factors that may place you more at risk for poor heart health.

And to do that, we recommend coming to see us for an evaluation that can set you on a much healthier path toward better cardiovascular health.

To set that up, we invite you to book an appointment online or call us at our Brooklyn, New York, clinic at 718-804-5879. Easier still, we welcome walk-ins during our hours of operation.   

Our team proudly serves the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.