Prevent heart disease with healthy habits

When it comes to heart health, the choices you make matter.

You can greatly lower your risk for heart disease by taking small steps every day to keep your heart healthy. You’ll  improve your overall well-being at the same time.

Build a healthy diet

Eating right helps you control heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol, feature at anthem.com blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight. Build your meals around mostly fresh, to connect with a doctor nutrient-rich foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats, in your plan’s network. nuts, and legumes. Try to limit salty processed foods, alcohol, red meat, and sugary drinks and desserts.

Don’t smoke

There’s no such thing as a safe tobacco product. Every type of smoking — even secondhand smoke — increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack. The good news is that if you do smoke, quitting now can still make a difference. Talk to your doctor about support programs or products that can make it easier to quit.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise lowers the risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and being overweight. Aim for at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, like brisk walking or biking, each week.* That’s 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Lower your stress

Some people cope with stress by overeating, drinking, or smoking. These can all increase the risk for heart disease. Finding healthy ways to deal with stress can improve your mood and health. Try meditation, therapy, breathing exercises, or working out.

Take healthy steps

Your doctor can help you make healthy lifestyle changes to help lower your risk for heart disease.

Use the Find Care feature at unicaremass.com/find-care to connect with a doctor in your plan’s network.

Sources:
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: Prevent Heart Disease(accessed November 2021): cdc.gov. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Heart-HealthyLiving (accessed November 2021): nhlbi.nih.gov. Cleveland Clinic: Stress ManagementandEmotional Health (accessed November 2021): my.clevelandclinic.org. American Heart Association: 8 Things You Can DotoPrevent Heart Diseaseand Stroke(accessed November 2021): heart.org