What does a heart-healthy diet consist of?
A heart-healthy diet is one that emphasizes unprocessed plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. A heart-healthy diet also includes plenty of healthy fats from sources like olive oil and fish while limiting red and processed meats to small quantities. In general, a Mediterranean diet is heart-healthy. There’s often confusion about whether alcohol is heart-healthy. The evidence on this topic is very confounded, but in general do not start drinking because you think it might be good for your heart. If you do drink, keep it to no more than one drink daily for women or two drinks daily for men. Some recent evidence suggests that no level of alcohol consumption is healthy.
What are signs of an unhealthy heart?
Many people with heart disease do not have symptoms. When symptoms do arise, they may include shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the center of the chest and pain, tingling or pressure in other parts of the upper body such as the jaw, neck, back or stomach. Heart attack symptoms include pain in and around the chest, sweating, clammy skin, irregular or racing heartbeat, dizziness or lightheadedness, shortness of breath and pain in and around the upper arms, jaw, neck, back or upper stomach. Call 911 immediately if you think you could be having a heart attack.
How can you help prevent heart disease?
Heart disease prevention centers on an overall healthy lifestyle. That means eating healthy, exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate sleep and managing stress in a healthy way. Many people often overlook the value of preventive blood testing, which provides insights into biomarkers of cardiovascular health that can help you and your doctor develop a heart-health plan based on your needs. Another often-overlooked factor that contributes to cardiovascular disease is sleep apnea. If you or your partner snore heavily or periodically gasp for air while sleeping, you should ask your doctor about having a sleep study.
