Lowering your risk of heart disease doesn't mean you have to change your life entirely. But you might need to rethink what aisles you shop at the grocery store or how often you check your blood pressure.
Take these tips from 5 Mayo Clinic experts, who share their best advice for getting heart healthy one step at a time.
We asked Mayo Clinic experts: What's your best advice for lowering heart disease risk?
Thomas G. Allison, Ph.D., M.P.H: No. 1, don't smoke. No. 2, get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. No. 3, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Melissa K. Erdman, P.A.-C.: Often one of the most helpful things is to meet with a dietitian and to discuss perhaps what your unhealthy habits are, and how to change those.
Katie N. Benike, C.N.P., D.N.P.: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. If you stay away from those middle aisles where everything is processed and canned and shelf-stable, you really can eat a pretty healthy diet.
Dr. Allison: Your blood pressure is important. Your cholesterol is important. And your blood sugar is important. And you can monitor all of those things, and we can teach you to do proper home monitoring.
Erdman: Getting a membership at a gym, or finding a workout partner and going for walks five days a week — something fun that you're going to continue.
Christopher V. DeSimone, M.D., Ph.D.: So, we have Dr. Google. And we have many, many news articles out there. So, it can be really confusing for patients, you know. Alcohol is good for me; alcohol is bad for me.
Always consult, when you're making a big change, with your primary family physician. That's the most important. Say, "I'm thinking about trying this, what do you think?" Rather than saying, "Well, here's what I read on some blog, and I'm going to try this."
Dr. Allison: You need to have a plan. And we can teach you the plan.
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