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Try these 5 Heart Healthy Tips with your Valentine

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This Valentine’s Day, you might be thinking about doing something for that special someone who makes your heart race. But you should show yourself some love too by doing your part to keep your heart healthy so that it beats strongly for years to come.

Not all heart disease is preventable, but it’s important to take action to prevent it as much as possible. In the United States, one in four deaths every year is due to heart disease, making it the leading cause of death for men and women. But our Medical Weight Loss Clinic team in Grand Rapids has simple steps everyone can take to prevent heart disease.

Here are 5 heart health tips to incorporate into your life — you may even want to encourage your significant other to join you!

1. Get Enough Sleep Every Night

Sleep deprivation can lead to a variety of health problems. A lack of sleep can cause disruptions in blood pressure, metabolism and cause inflammation, which increase your risk for heart disease. For the best health, strive to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. If you struggle to get enough good sleep, are some tips for how you can sleep better.

2. Drink Green Tea

Whether you drink it hot or cold, green tea can provide health benefits such as helping to lower your LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides. Antioxidants in green tea can help prevent plaque buildup in the arteries too. If you’re in the mood for iced green tea, it’s best to brew it yourself to avoid the high levels of sugar that typically come in bottled tea.

 3. Take Slow, Deep Breaths

Have you ever noticed how when you’re stressed or doing something strenuous, you might hold your breath? This is when it’s especially important that you breathe. When you take deep breaths, it sends signals to your brain to calm down, which in turn tells your body to do the same. When you take deep breaths, the signals of stress, like high blood pressure and increased heart rate decrease. You may even want to try breathing exercises.

4. Exercise

The heart is a muscle, and just like the others in your body, it needs to be worked out to stay strong. We recommend that you exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week to help keep your heart healthy.

5. Get Regular Physical Exams

The best way to be in control of any heart-related issues is to be vigilant before they even appear. Make sure to get regular exams by your primary care doctor so that you can address any potential heart health problems they may find from the onset.

For more information on how you can prevent or manage heart disease with proper diet, contact Medical Weight Loss Clinic today for a free consultation. Schedule your consultation online or call 248-353-8446.

*Results may vary. Minimum purchase required. Some restrictions apply and discounts may not be used for online purchases.
When you enroll in a Medical Weight Loss Clinic program, the length of your program will be determined by you and the staff based on the amount of weight you want to lose and how quickly you want to lose it. Your actual weight loss will be determined by many factors, including, but not limited to: your medical circumstances, the plan you choose, adherence to the meal plan and use of nutritional supplements. Your goal and program duration information will be given to you in writing at the time of enrollment. As your program progresses, the rate you lose weight may change and you will have the opportunity to discuss this at every daily visit with your weight loss consultant, where changes to your meal plan and/or program can be made.