Tips for Heart Health
If you are looking to make major changes to your lifestyle, it’s always good to talk first with a doctor.
Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. And while many diseases are not preventable, heart disease can be. By making specific choices you can dramatically decrease your risk of heart disease. Doing so not only makes you feel better, but also dramatically increases your likelihood to live longer.
This year, we highly recommend you consider making heart health a priority. We’ve compiled a short list of things you can do that don’t take that much time or energy but can make a huge difference in the long run.
Eat Well
I know it’s almost annoying at this point to hear the advice to “eat better.” For one, cooking is time consuming, healthier groceries can be expensive, and it’s so convenient to order-in or pick up something through a drive through. That all being said, there are some easy things you can do without breaking the bank or forcing you to spend hours meal prepping.
Eat smaller portions – I was always raised to clean my plate, and when there are one or two bites left, I tend to finish my food, even if I’m full, but that’s not always the best choice, especially if you are eating something more convenient (like fast food). Serving yourself a smaller portion, stopping early, or saving some food for tomorrow is a great way to live a bit healthier.
This is something that sounds easy, but for some reason is actually quite difficult. So, if you do decide to go for smaller portions, try your best not to snack later to compensate.
Eat slower – Another tip that people share a lot is to eat slower so that you can notice you’re full sooner. This really only works if you often feel like you “eat too much,” so it’s not perfect advice, but many report that it helps!
Find room for healthier snacks – Let’s be honest, chips taste amazing. But overly processed oily foods are linked to a lot of health problems. Apples, baby carrots, and celery, are all healthier alternatives that still have that satisfying crunch. It’s just hard to get in the habit of eating them! Bananas and oranges also can be a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth instead of candy or chocolate. And if those don’t work for you, you can always just try smaller portions with snacks too.
Exercise
Again, we know that this is what everyone says to do, but it’s not that easy to get yourself out the door and to the gym. But the gym isn’t the only place to go! Some light cardio in the form of sports or walking can do wonders for your physical and mental health.
Going for a short 15–20 minute walk every morning or afternoon is a great way to get your steps in. And if that sounds terrible to you, San Diego is called “America’s Wildest City” for a reason. There are hundreds of trails, canyons, and open spaces to go for longer walks and hikes that make the perfect weekend activity. Balboa Park has nice scenic walking paths and is very easy to get to and park in. And if you’re not a fan of hills, Morely Field is less scenic, but a great walk, just be sure to wear sunscreen!
Lower Stress
Since SDPEBA members are made up of City and County employees, we know your jobs tend to be stressful, which is all the more reason to try to reduce it!
Sleep is extremely important for decreasing stress, which is kind of ironic because stress is also one of the reasons people sleep poorly. What we recommend is forming a repeatable easy sleep routine that follows a set schedule. Sleep routines look different for everyone, but sleep experts agree that following a schedule is the best way to stay on track. There’s also the other common pieces of advice: no electronics in bed, get some exercise in the day, try not to nap, and limit afternoon caffeine. Whatever you do, just make sure it’s consistent and repeatable.
And those are our tips! Making big life changes can be difficult, so we hope these small things can make a big difference. Please take care of your heart, after all, it takes care of you!