{"id":2448,"date":"2023-02-20T22:18:49","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T22:18:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/bluekcblog\/well-said\/healthier-you-february-2023\/"},"modified":"2023-05-12T17:32:46","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T17:32:46","slug":"healthier-you-february-2023","status":"publish","type":"well_said","link":"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/blog\/well-said\/healthier-you-february-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"A Healthier You &#8211; February 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bluekc.com\/bluekcblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Layer-8_compressed-1024x440-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6334\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Healthier Heart: Small Changes Add Up<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>February is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/heartdisease\/american_heart_month.htm#:~:text=February%20is%20American%20Heart%20Month,focus%20on%20their%20cardiovascular%20health.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Heart Month<\/a>. What better time to start taking better care of your ticker?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefits of a heart-healthy lifestyle are no secret. However, making all the recommended changes might seem too challenging. Fortunately, any change, even small changes, will reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/heartdisease\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">the leading cause of death<\/a>\u202fin the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plus, by focusing on learning <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/news\/2021\/small-changes-healthy-heart\" target=\"_blank\">a few small habits<\/a> first, you\u2019ll increase your odds of those habits becoming permanent. Deciding which small changes to make first is up to you. To help you decide, <strong>below are three areas where small changes can make a big difference in your heart health.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1 \u2013 Choose Foods Carefully<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Eating too many <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.acc.org\/about-acc\/press-releases\/2021\/03\/22\/18\/46\/ultra-processed-foods-are-breaking-your-heart\" target=\"_blank\">processed foods<\/a>, and foods high in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/high-blood-cholesterol\/in-depth\/trans-fat\/art-20046114\" target=\"_blank\">saturated fats and trans fats<\/a>, has been shown to contribute to heart disease. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salt\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Salt<\/a>\u202fmay increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Health Association (AHA)\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/CIR.0000000000001031\" target=\"_blank\">recommends<\/a>\u202fyou choose these healthy foods instead:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fruits and vegetables&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whole-grain foods and products&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/heart-disease\/heart-healthy-proteins#Picking-Your-Proteins\" target=\"_blank\">Healthy sources of protein<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Liquid plant oils&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/nutritionsource\/processed-foods\/#:~:text=Minimally%20processed%20foods%20have%20been,freezing%2C%20and%20vacuum%2Dpackaging.\" target=\"_blank\">Minimally processed foods<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Foods prepared with little or no salt&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The AHA also recommends certain drinks for heart health. Drinking\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/fitness\/fitness-basics\/staying-hydrated-staying-healthy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">water is best<\/a>. Staying hydrated by drinking enough water can decrease your risk of heart failure. You should also limit your intake of\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/nutrition-basics\/alcohol-and-heart-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">alcoholic drinks<\/a>\u202fand drinks with added sugars. Lastly, if you do not drink alcohol, do not start.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2 \u2013 Move More<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On average, Americans spend\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2731178\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">six to eight hours sitting<\/a>\u202fdown. Sitting down, especially while\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7092398\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">watching television<\/a>, is directly linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Breaking up sitting time by adding\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0217981\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">short bouts of activity<\/a>\u202fmay improve health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/wellness-and-prevention\/3-kinds-of-exercise-that-boost-heart-health\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Exercise<\/a>\u202fcan be great for improving heart health. To improve heart health, the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/fitness\/fitness-basics\/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AHA recommends<\/a>:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Aerobic exercise (preferably spread throughout the week): 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or some combination of both&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muscle-strengthening exercise (at least twice each week)&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s best to work up to these activity levels if you are used to doing less. If you\u2019re not used to exercising regularly, it\u2019s best to\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/fitness\/in-depth\/exercise\/art-20047414\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">check with your doctor<\/a>\u202fbefore you start.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3 \u2013 Stop Smoking<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/tobacco\/basic_information\/health_effects\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Smoking damages<\/a>\u202fnearly every organ of the body. Besides causing heart disease, smoking causes stroke, cancer, lung diseases and diabetes, as well as increases the risk for some other diseases. Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer and coronary heart disease in adults.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/heart-disease\/quit-smoking-helps-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quitting sm<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/heart-disease\/quit-smoking-helps-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">o<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/heart-disease\/quit-smoking-helps-heart\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">king<\/a>\u202fstarts to improve heart health and reduce heart disease risk immediately. Within a year of quitting smoking, the risk of heart attack goes down. Within five years of quitting smoking, the risk of stroke decreases to about the same level as someone who never smoked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthy changes in diet, increasing activity levels and quitting smoking will improve your heart health. You don\u2019t have to do it alone. Speak with your doctor to develop a heart-healthy plan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Heart Association\u2019s website<\/a>, where you\u2019ll find an abundance of healthy living information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2450,"template":"","class_list":["post-2448","well_said","type-well_said","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Healthier You - February 2023 - The Blueprint Blog - Blue KC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Healthier You - February 2023 - The Blueprint Blog - Blue KC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Healthier Heart: Small Changes Add Up&nbsp; February is American Heart Month. 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