SEE OTHER SIDE FOR EVEN MORE HELPFUL HEART HINTS

Getting Pumped UpABOUT HEART HEALTHNo one sets out to hurt their heart. But some habits can add up over time, taking their toll. You can't control things like your family history or aging. But you have more power than you may think.

Atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries due to the buildup of plaque—starts early and progresses throughout life. You can't see or feel it, but in most of us the process is already under way. The plaques of atherosclerosis can grow to become blood vessel blockages. If a plaque ruptures, the sudden blood clot causes a heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerosis is common, unpredictable and potentially deadly.

Is there any good news? Because atherosclerosis takes decades to progress, the process can be slowed down at any point, reducing the risk. There’s a lot of reason to believe you can trump your family history or promote a healthier, longer life if you focus as early as possible on the risk factors you can control.

You probably know that heart disease is the number one killer in the US, affecting more than one in three American adults. What you may not know is that cardiovascular conditions are often caused by the simple combination of too many bad habits and too few good ones.

If you do nothing else this year, make heart health a priority. Here are some bad habits you should ditch and some great ones to adopt during this year. Your heart will thank you!

Here are the top 6 habits to change, for your heart's sake:

1. Sitting too much You may have heard that "sitting is the new smoking." It's true—spending a lot of time seated is bad for you. Inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who are more active.

The fix: A little more movement can make a big difference. Get up from your chair more often at work. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week.

2. Ignoring heart symptoms Trying to convince yourself that the discomfort in your chest is just heartburn? It might be, but it could also be a warning sign that you have a heart condition or are having a heart attack.

The fix: If you have any of the following symptoms, call 911 right away. Prompt treatment could save your life.• Chestpainordiscomfort• Unexplainedshortnessofbreath• Discomfortinoneorbotharms,orintheback,shoulders,

neck or jaw• Unusualtiredness

3. Putting off your check up You can delay doing a lot of things, but when you put off seeing your doctor, your heart may pay the price.

The fix: Make an appointment. A visit to the doctor will let you know if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar.

4. Carrying a "spare tire" Being overweight puts extra strain on your ticker and increases the odds you’ll develop heart disease. If you store extra weight in your midsection, that in particular raises your risk.

The fix: Shedding a few pounds can go a long way. Even just a five to ten percent drop in your weight can lower your heart disease risk.

5. Lighting up If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, you have more than twice the risk of a heart attack than a person who has never smoked. Many of the chemicals in cigarette smoke get into the bloodstream and damage the inner lining of the arteries. Bad cholesterol collects on the artery walls, boosting the risk of heart attack.

The fix: Quit. No matter how long you’ve smoked, quitting can help reverse damage to the heart and blood vessels and can dramatically cut your risk of heart disease and heart attack.

6. Getting insufficient sleep Sleeping five or fewer hours per night can hurt your heart by raising blood pressure along with stress hormone levels in the body.

The fix: However busy you are, don’t sacrifice sleep. When you do, you’re also sacrificing the health of your heart.

Helpful HEART HintsCurb cholesterol, not flavorIt’s no secret that certain foods can help you lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which causes a buildup of plaque in the arteries that leads to heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. But what may surprise you is that many of these foods are delicious and easy to incorporate into your everyday meals without sacrificing flavor or fun.

Indulge a littleDark chocolate contains flavonoids, antioxidants that help lower LDL levels. Just make sure to eat in moderation.

Awesome avocadosThere’s more to avocados than just guacamole. They give you oleic acid, which helps lower the bad cholesterol in your bloodstream.

Tea timeBoth black and green teas contain powerful antioxidants that may reduce cholesterol levels. Green tea typically contains more of these antioxidant powerhouses, as it is made from unfermented leaves and is less processed. Just go easy on the cream and sugar.

Go nuts for nutsNuts are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids,

so almonds, walnuts, or pistachios can help reduce your LDL levels. Try sprinkling them on your salad, or eat them right out of hand as a snack. Just be sure to choose the low-salt option, and keep it to about 1.5 ounces

a day—nuts are also high in calories. For almonds, that’s about 30 almonds or 1/3 cup.

Go fishingFish like salmon, albacore tuna, sardines, and halibut are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce triglycerides in the blood. Aim for 8 ounces of fish a week, and bake or grill the fish—don’t fry it—to keep it healthy.

Versatile olive oilOlive oil is a plant-based fat, so

it's a better choice when you're trying to lower your "bad" cholesterol than fats that come from animals. It’s great mixed

with red wine vinegar, a minced garlic clove and a little ground

pepper for a salad dressing.

Bountiful beansBlack beans, kidney beans, lentils, oh my! All are rich in soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol in the blood and moves it out of the body.

Make a fruitful changePears and apples have a lot of pectin, which is a type of fiber that can lower cholesterol. So do citrus fruits like oranges and lemons. Berries are also high in fiber.

Eat your veggiesMost vegetables are high in fiber and low in calories.

©2015 LP Lewis, Inc. All rights reserved. This flyer is not intended as a replacement for professional health care.

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