Half of all U.S. adults have at least one serious risk factor for heart disease (1). The good news is that you can control most of your risks with heart-healthy lifestyle choices.
Making healthy choices is easier with the support of others. When you and someone you love commit to heart-healthy choices together, you’ll both enjoy the benefits. These tips can help you get started.
Learn Your Risks
Before you can take control of your heart health, it’s important to learn about your personal risk factors. High blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels are two major risk factors for heart disease. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, while one out of three have elevated blood cholesterol levels (1). The American Heart Association recommends that all adults get their blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly (2).
It can be easy to put off a trip to your doctor’s office for blood pressure and cholesterol screenings, but a nudge from a loved one might help you quit procrastinating. Once you know your numbers, you have the information you need to take action and keep your risk factors under control.
Eat Well Together
When it comes to your heart, what you eat matters. Good nutrition and healthful choices are essential for managing many of the factors that put your heart at risk. Choosing foods with less sodium and getting more fruits and vegetables every day are important for maintaining healthy blood pressure. Heart-healthy eating also helps you control cholesterol (2, 3).
Because cooking and eating are activities often shared with the people we love most, enjoying nutritious foods together is one of the best ways to achieve a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Get Your Heart Pumping
Physical activity is essential for a healthy heart. Any type of exercise has benefits, but those that get your heart pumping, like brisk walking, are especially beneficial for the heart. Aim for at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping physical activity most days of the week (4). The more active you are, the more health benefits you can receive.
Exercising with friends or loved ones can have great benefits for heart health. Not only are you more likely to stick with your exercise plans when you’ve made them with someone else, but you are also more likely to get a better workout. Research suggests that having a supportive workout partner can increase your motivation to exercise, encourage you to put more effort in, and boost the stress reduction benefits (5-7).
Ingredients Your Heart Will Love
While dietary supplements can’t take the place of heart-healthy lifestyle choices, some nutrients may be beneficial additions to your plan, especially if you are concerned about cholesterol. Heart Shake Booster offers the right ingredients to pair with a balanced diet and exercise.
Designed for use with Isagenix shakes, Heart Shake Booster is formulated to help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels.† It provides plant sterols, pantethine, and a blend of ingredients inspired by the Mediterranean diet.
Sharing heart-healthy lifestyle choices with the people you love most means you can enjoy the benefits of good health together. Heart Shake Booster is a convenient choice to complement your heart-healthy lifestyle and may help reduce your risk of heart disease. †
†Foods and supplements containing at least 0.65 g per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 g, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of Heart Shake Booster supplies 0.65 grams of plant sterol esters.
References
- Benjamin EJ, et al. “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2019 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association.” Circulation. 2019;139:e1–e473.
- Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. 2013 AHA/ACC guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Jul 1;63(25 Pt B):2960-84.
- S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 physical activity guidelines for Americans. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion publication no. U0036. October 2008. http://health.gov/paguidelines/pdf/paguide.pdf. Accessed February 8, 2018.
- Mozaffarian D, Appel LJ, Van Horn L. Components of a cardioprotective diet: new insights. Circulation. 2011 Jun 21;123(24):2870-91.
- Lindsay Smith G, Banting L, Eime R, O’Sullivan G, van Uffelen JGZ. The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: a systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Apr 27;14(1):56. doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0509-8.
- Plante, T.G., M. Madden, S. Mann and G. Lee, 2010. Effects of Perceived Fitness Level of Exercise Partner on Intensity of Exertion. J. Soc. Sci., 6: 50-54.
- Plante TG, Coscarelli L, Ford M. Does exercising with another enhance the stress-reducing benefits of exercise? Int J Stress Manag. 2001 Jul 1;8(3):201-13.
