It’s often a difficult situation that makes us pause to consider how important our hearts are in our daily quality of life. For heart health month, W + C Jerky would like to remind you of 5 small decisions you can make now, that will result in significant long term benefits for your heart and your overall well-being.
1) Decrease your stress. As a mother of 6 and a small business owner, I know this is easy to say but very difficult to do. There is no way to truly avoid all stress, but we can adapt and prepare for stress by learning how our own bodies best decompress. I have recently added quiet time to my morning walks to prepare my mind for the day. Small changes can result in significant heart improvements. A little goes a long way in time and stress management as well as the long term health of your heart.
2) Get enough sleep. Sleep seems to be the one thing I feel like I can give up. However, limited sleep puts individuals at a higher risk for cardiovascular/coronary disease. Sleep deprivation alters the way your body works, whereas sleeping too much can also negatively impact your heart health. It is best to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night to better support your heart health. I have found setting a reminder to start getting ready for bed helps me stay on schedule for my sleep patterns.
3) Exercise Daily. My exercise typically consists of time on the treadmill or elliptical machine for aerobic exercise followed by a little weight training. However, it is important to vary your exercise and include flexibility training (Yoga, Pilates). YouTube has many fun classes you can participate in from home that I have discovered during quarantine. My favorite is dance classes – I learned I love to disco. Variety in your exercise trains the heart in different ways.
4) Floss your teeth daily. Does it surprise you to know that your mouth has more to do with your heart health than what you eat. The health of your teeth and gums is a good indication of the health of your heart. Studies have demonstrated the bacteria in the mouth that results in gum disease can take up in up in the bloodstream, resulting in blood vessel inflammation. This then puts you at an increased risk for heart disease and even stroke.
5) Eat the right things. With our busy lifestyles, eating well is becoming more and more challenging. Consuming vitamins and minerals in their natural form is the most optimal way to fuel our bodies. Planning ahead and allowing these types of snacks to be as accessible as processed foods will help you win this battle. One of the reasons, W+C Jerky came to be was the lack of healthy snack choices. Check out our nutritional guide to see how our jerky compares https://williamsandconner.com/pages/nutritional-information. You might be surprised that W+C Jerky fits with a low carb, low calorie, and low sodium diet. Sodium is a silent but harmful ingredient in most processed foods. The average American gets about 80% of their daily salt intake from processed foods. W+C Jerky is minimally processed using only quality USDA meat. So, if you need to make a change to your diet, we have a solution for you.
Sources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-things-to-do-every-day-to-keep-your-heart-healthy/
https://selecthealth.org/blog/2019/02/5-tips-on-how-to-take-care-of-your-heart