Heart Health

Make choices that are smart for your heart – from eating right to getting regular physical activity to decreasing stress levels and quitting smoking. Keeping this vital muscle strong can help you avoid chronic conditions and positively impact all aspects of your health.

Diet and nutrition are critical to ensuring long-term heart and cardiovascular health. One of the most immediate things you can do to promote a healthier heart is examine your eating habits and figure out where you need to make changes.

Eating enough fiber each day from various sources is important to maintaining a heart-healthy diet. Fiber helps keep total cholesterol down, including LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease. Find out what foods offer the most fiber benefit.
High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors leading to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Reducing saturated and trans fat in your diet, and consuming more cholesterol-fighting foods, is one way to decrease LDL (“bad) cholesterol in your blood. You also need to keep your HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels up to promote heart health.
Fast food can be hard to resist. It’s cheap, convenient, and filling, and for many of us, sometimes it's the only option available. It’s no secret that fast food is not a heart-healthy option. But it is possible to make heart-healthy food choices by following the hints and tips in the video below.

I HEART Exercise

Healthy eating for a healthy heart is a start. But you also need exercise, so take advantage of any opportunity to get moving:

Take the stairs. Start with one flight. Soon you’ll be ready for two, three or more.
At work, park your car in the far end of the lot. If you take a bus or train, get off one stop before yours and walk the rest of the way.
House work and yard work are as much chores as they are extra chances to exercise.
If you have a family, schedule short after-dinner walks. It can be as much quality time as it is exercise time.

Ready to take your exercise regimen to the next level? Talk to a Health Coach about setting up a program that’s right for you. Health Coaching is personalized and confidential – best of all, it’s free. Call (877) 292-1373 for more information.

Abbott can help you make heart-healthy decisions

There are so many things you can do to jumpstart a heart-healthy diet. Registered Dietitian Christy Burkard can help you figure what works best for you by giving you a range of options for improving your nutrition and overall health. For a free, confidential, and one-on-one consultation, just call (847) 937-5011 to make an appointment today.