American Heart Month: Tips for a Healthy Heart

Choose Healthy Foods and Drinks. Choose healthy meals and snacks to help prevent heart disease and its complications. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods. Learn more about healthy diet and nutrition at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity website. Find healthy, seasonal recipes on the Million Hearts® Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle page.

Keep a Healthy Weight. People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk for heart disease. Carrying extra weight can put extra stress on the heart and blood vessels. To find out if your weight is in a healthy range, you can calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) at CDC’s Assessing Your Weight website.

Get Regular Physical Activity. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. For adults, the Surgeon General recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling, every week. Children and adolescents should get one hour of physical activity every day. For more information, see CDC’s Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity website.

Don’t Smoke. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Your doctor can suggest ways to help you quit. For more information about tobacco use and quitting, see CDC’s Smoking & Tobacco Use website.