This Valentine's Day, take care of your heart. In celebration of Heart Health month, we encourage you to take 4 steps to avoid heart disease:
Don't smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, learn how to quit.
Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed.
Make heart-healthy eating changes. Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options.
Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks.
To make an appointment with a primary care provider and start your journey to a healthy heart, visit www.mclaren.org/lapeerappointments.