Three Ways to Heal Your Heart Now

Our heart is our life. It is what wakes us up each morning to enjoy a new day. So often, however, we neglect the thing that gives us the most. Here are just three ways you can start to protect your heart and live longer.

Lower Your Cholesterol

You already know that high cholesterol is bad for your heart, so this isn’t news. High cholesterol is bad not only for your heart but it can cause a myriad of other health problems  including stroke. Starting today, you want to make every attempt to reduce your high cholesterol.

So how do you do this? Start by removing all fast foods and the so called junk foods from your diet. I know, it is easier said than done but you can start slowly. If you eat fast food three times a week, reduce it immediately to once a week and work to eliminate it all together from your diet. Add regular exercise and you can lower your cholesterol by as much as 20%

Reduce Stress

Prolonged and unresolved stress is bad for your heart. It is no coincidence that many heart disease patients suffer from depression. In today’s hectic lifestyle, you are constantly balancing work, family, and other demands of our daily lives. Often,  you may neglect to take care of your self, monitor your stress levels and listen to your body’s warning signals. 

Regular exercise and meditation are two popular ways people cope with stress. You may say that with your busy lifestyle there is little time to engage in these activities. However, your heart depends on you doing whatever it takes to relieve stress and save your heart. Communicating your feelings of stress or depression with family, friends and professionals  can go a long way toward helping you make the right decisions about your health.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is a big risk factor for heart disease and other serious medical conditions.  While most smokers understand the need to quit and see quitting as a great accomplishment, willpower alone is not enough. You have to really want to change your smoking habit and use some of the many  quit smoking resources available.

Several aids to help you quit smoking are available at  your local community health service or your family physician. Whether you choose the patch, hypnosis or counseling, you can begin by exploring the avaliable resources to  help you begin the process.

Reduce your cholesterol, reduce stress and stop smoking are three areas you can target now to heal your heart. While these are not easy tasks to accomplish, they are easier than you think. Start with small manageable steps, be committed to your goal and seek help.