Heart disease runs in my family. That’s my grandmother seated in the chair in the photo. She died of a heart attack.
My mom had a massive heart attack when she was 72. After that, she spent eight years in a nursing home before she passed away.
My uncle Orvie Telecky died of a heart attack after he mowed the lawn on a hot day, and my Aunt Mable Burrill had a stroke.
To prevent heart disease, I walk, take fish oil, meditate to reduce stress, eat fish and lots of vegetables, and keep my weight down to help prevent diabetes.
What else can baby boomers do for a healthier heart?
Prevention says that by five lifestyle habits – moderate alcohol, a healthy diet, daily exercise, normal body weight, and not smoking – can cut your heart attack risk by 92 percent, according to a Swedish study of more than 24,000 women. Incorporating just the first two into your routine cuts your risk by more than half.
The 28 tips following are designed to help you get started with heart healthy habits. Prevention suggests you try one a day for a month, and then keep doing as many as you can regularly:
- Drink green tea.
- Check food labels for unhealthy fat.
- Cook like an Italian and use olive oil on breads, on salad, and in baking.
- Carve out time for sleep.
- Fiber up your diet.
- Feast on fish.
- Start your morning with juice.
- Make room for veggies.
- Make nuts your go-to snack.
- Walk for 20 minutes a day.
- Change your bread spread.
- Stir in flax seed.
- Start or end your day with stretching.
- Unwind with a little wine.
- Swap in soy.
- Cook with garlic.
- Spice up your workout.
- Stop faking it and figure out how to reduce your stress level.
- Meditate for five minutes.
- Get in touch with your spiritual side.
- Stay in touch to help reduce anxiety and reduce depression.
- Take vitamin D and fish oil.
- Do something sweet for your partner.
- Indulge in dark chocolate.
- Steer clear of second hand smoke.
- Eat bananas to get more potassium, which speeds up the body’s sodium excretion.
- Cut back on sugar.
- Laugh at yourself.
See “28 Days to a Healthier Heart” for details on why these steps are important.
More than 41 million women in America have heart disease, and more women than men die from it. Heart disease is the leading health problem that kills women.
This is great! Can we add, “Laugh at others” to the list? I don’t know if it’s heart-healthy, but it sure is fun. LOL See–it’s working already.
Hi Karen,
We can laugh at others when they’re not around, I think. Otherwise, we need to laugh with others. Most people, myself included, don’t like to be laughed at.
Rita