29 Oct A Healthy Heart is a Happy Heart by Dr. Kim Nelson
Handy Hints for a Healthy Heart
You’ll see lots of hearts around this time of year symbolizing love. Are you loving your heart? It has been working hard since before you were born pumping 2,000 gallons of blood a day without a break. How can you show your heart some love?
L – Learn to destress! “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 NLT Identify those triggers that threaten peace in your life. Stress is bad for your heart both spiritually and physically. Consider taking a deep breath, going for a walk, spending time outdoors or praying.
O – Opt for healthier food choices. The holidays are gone, and you may be regretting overindulging on the cookies or other treats. Limit sweets and other foods that do not have nutritional value. Stay away from saturated and trans fats and foods high in sodium. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, can decrease your chance of getting high blood pressure or lower you pressure if yours is already high. Women and Heart Disease
V – Visit your healthcare provider for regular check-ups. Discuss if you have a family history of heart disease, your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood glucose. If you need helping quitting using tobacco or getting your weight back on track, they can also help.
E – Exercise has benefits besides helping you to get fit. It can help with distressing and decrease your chances of depression, dementia, chronic illness and weight gain. You may even sleep better and think more clearly. The less time inactive the better. Take breaks to get up and move. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise like walking or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise like jogging in a week. Add some weights or resistance training twice a week.
A healthy heart is a happy heart! For more information visit the American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/
Dr. Kimberly Nelson has been a cardiac nurse for over 20 years with experience in the hospital, community and research practice areas. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Nursing from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and Doctorate of Nursing Practice from University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She is certified as a Cardiac-Vascular Nurse, Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist, Heart Failure Nurse, Cardiac Care Coordinator and Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer. She is currently practicing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.
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