Heart Health 101

More than 15,000 deaths happen a year in Missouri that are caused by heart disease, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Services. Take care of yourself means taking care of all parts of your body. Our health clinics at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to give you a few tips for practicing good heart health in this week's blog. Are you concerned about your heart health? Make an appointment with one of our Primary Care Providers at the Lake of the Ozarks today. All phone numbers and health clinic locations can be found on our website at www.CentralOzarks.org.

Be heart smart about how much salt you eat.
The American Heart Association recommends that you consume only 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day and that you do not exceed 2,400 milligrams. Unfortunately, the CDC states that Americans consume, on average, 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day. Prolonged high-sodium diets can result in high blood pressure, edema, weakened bones, and potentially stomach problems. Limiting your sodium intake is an important part of improving heart health.

Stay away from drinking high-calorie drinks!
Being overweight is hard on the body. It makes your heart (and other systems) work harder, and this extra effort can eventually take a toll. Losing weight is rarely easy, but one helpful way to start is to quit drinking sugary beverages that cause you to consume more calories than you may realize. Start by limiting the amount of soda, sweetened tea, fruit juice, and sweetened coffee that you consume on a regular basis. Cutting back on your alcohol intake is important, too.

Sleep 7-8 hours a night.
Maintaining the proper level of sleep on a nightly basis is an important component of keeping your heart healthy. One study cited on WebMD found that young and middle-aged adults who got 7-8 hours of sleep per night had less calcium in their arteries than adults who slept 5 hours or less or 9 hours or more. Calcium buildup in the arteries can be an early sign of heart disease.

Be active and get into a normal exercise routine.
Your body's ease of mobility and range of motion often follows the "use it or lose it" rule. The less you move your body, the harder it will be for you to be active when you do decide to be. It's important to give your body mild to moderate exercise at least a few days per week. It is also important to limit the amount of time you spend sitting down. If you must sit for long periods of time at work, get up and stretch your legs every 1-2 hours.

Practice good heart health and stay away from smoking as well! All of us here at our Lake of the Ozarks health clinics hope you found this blog helpful. Being concerned about your heart health is not something you should have to go through alone. Contact one of our Primary Care Providers in Mid-Missouri today. Check our website at www.CentralOzarks.org to learn more about each of them. You can also follow our social media channels listed below to stay up to date on all of our latest announcements.


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