February is Heart Health Month!
You may have heard, heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States and has been for quite some time. This is truly heartbreaking (no pun intended) because there are so many actions we can take in order to help prevent heart disease.
High blood pressure and smoking are two of the top risk factors for heart disease. In addition; lack of physical exercise, poor diet, being overweight, diabetes, and excessive alcohol consumption all increase your risk for heart disease.
What can we do to help prevent heart disease?
- Quit smoking. I know, easier said than done. There are many resources to help you quit smoking, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you. It is also helpful to tell a supportive and encouraging friend/family member your plans to quit so they can help you along the way.
- Exercise! 30-60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week is so beneficial. In addition to heart disease, this will help prevent a number of other unwanted health conditions. Check out Popsugar Fitness for some great online workout videos and workout tips.
- Quality Sleep. It is so important to get adequate sleep at night. This affects our whole day as well as our overall health. The number of hours we require varies from person to person. A good indicator that you are getting the right amount of sleep for you is waking up feeling refreshed. In contrast, if you are constantly hitting the snooze button and feeling exhausted – hit the hay earlier!
- Whole Food, Plant-based Diet. Focus on eating your fruits and vegetables. Diets high in sodium, saturated fats, sugar, and LDL cholesterol can increase your risk for heart disease. Make an effort to switch up your fruits and veggies so you are getting a nice variety. This will help you get all of the different nutrients you need. Cooking meals at home allows you to achieve this much easier than going out to eat.
*The above mentioned are all topics I would love to help you achieve as your health coach. The added accountability, recommendations, and outside perspective truly help people achieve and maintain their health goals. Having a health coach is often the final step people need to achieve balance and optimum health. Please contact me for more information about Health Coaching or contact Ame today to set up a consultation! Alyssa@www.amesalonandspa.com
Check out some of these fabulous tips from PopSugar Fitness on How To Be Healthier. The only tip I do not recommend trying is #18: The 80/20 rule. I really don’t like this eating principle and I find this typically does not work well for people. It is hard to keep understand what 20% of our food intake is and if you take indulging too far, you are likely to negate all of your hard work and dedication. I prefer to just focus on practicing healthy eating most of the time.
Ame is currently hosting an online wellness group focusing on heart health and self-care. This group will continue to run until February 28th. We would love to have you! Please let me know if you would like to join us. Alyssa@www.amesalonandspa.com
