Take Care of Your Heart with These Four Tips

Everyone knows how to be healthier, but life, time, and motivation all conspire to keep you from doing what you know is good for you and your heart. Still, there's no secret, no magic bullet and no shortcut to better heart health. Eating right, exercising regularly, getting a checkup and getting to the hospital when signs of heart attack present themselves will help you live longer and better. Consulting with a cardiologist in Suffolk County, NY, can help you devise a personalized plan for your heart to take advantage of what you already know.

Eat Right

A plant-based diet can help keep your heart healthier. Avoid fad diets and make sure that you eat a diverse selection of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Do it correctly, and you don't need meat to make you happier or healthier. It's good for you, your heart, and the environment.

Exercise Regularly

Get at least 30 minutes a day of cardio work in five days a week. Getting your heart pumping faster actually decreases the overall heartbeats you use during the day. Cardio lowers your resting heart rate, which makes a huge difference in your heart health. Some of the best exercises include swimming and bicycling because they are low impact.

See Doctor Once a Year

Your yearly checkup is designed to find problems before they require a major intervention. If you're able to see the same doctor year after year, he or she can notice changes that you'll miss. You can get a personalized plan to prevent whatever diseases you're at risk for. If necessary, your doctor can recommend a specialist. Most importantly, you build trust between you and your doctor, and that's one of the most important factors in recovering from a traumatic illness.

Get to the Hospital

If you have chest pain that comes and goes or a pressure on your chest, don't ignore it. Every second you delay damages your heart more. For women, nausea and stomach pain is more common for heart attacks. For questions about your particular heart risks, consult with a cardiologist in Suffolk County, NY. Genetics plays a part in heart disease and heart attacks. It's important to understand what that means to your particular life as you work to live better. When you know what your risk factors are, you can do more to limit them. That makes it easier to take care of your heart and yourself.