February is American Heart Month

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. Heart disease is affected by a lot of factors, including your age, activity level, family history, cholesterol, your weight, blood pressure and sugar level. Healthy living can decrease your risk of developing heart disease. The biggest part of living healthy comes down to simply making healthy choices. While you can’t change things like age and family history, the good news is that even modest changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your heart health and lower your risk by as much as 80 percent.

Here are some of the things you can do to get started:

1. Schedule a visit with your doctor at Ross Medical Group to talk about your heart health. It’s important to schedule regular check-ups even if you think you are not sick. Partner with your doctor and health care team to set goals for improving your heart health.
2. Add exercise to your daily routine. Start off by exercising three times per week. Any form of walking, jogging, cycling can be helpful. Exercise not only decreases your risk of developing heart disease, but also decreases blood pressure, lowers your cholesterol, helps in weight management, and gives you more energy! Schedule an appointment with Ross Medical Group Division of Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy for a consultation on exercise.
3. Increase your healthy eating. Eating healthy is a cornerstone of having a healthy heart. Cook healthy meals at home and make your favorite recipe with lower amounts of sodium, more vegetables and less saturated fat and cholesterol. For example, swap out salt for fresh or dried herbs and spices, and cook using olive oil instead of butter. Check out our Healthy Eating Blog for more information! 
4. If you smoke, take steps to quit smoking. Quitting can cut your risk for developing heart disease and stroke. Schedule a visit at Ross Medical Group with one of our doctors who can help you quit!

Here at Ross Medical Group, we want to help you to become as heart healthy as possible. Call us today to schedule your wellness appointment, and take the first step to a healthier you. Call us at 305-279-7677 or visit our website at www.rossmedicalgroup.com