It Starts With the Heart

Maybe you’re not as healthy as you use to be or perhaps you’ve lived for decades without ever really focusing on your personal health and wellness. Whatever you situation may be, the first step toward leading a healthier life is resolving to change.

Once you’ve decided to pay more attention to your health, however, you may find yourself overwhelmed with information and struggling to find a comfortable starting point. Don’t worry! Before you give up, there’s one simple step that can help you start making positive strides—focus on your heart!

The key principles of maintaining heart health form the foundation of any healthy lifestyle. And these building blocks are pretty simple: exercise regularly and maintain a nutritious diet.

Making the Changes

OK, so the changes sound simple on paper, but we all know diet and exercise habits don’t change overnight. With this in mind, however, there are some steps you can take to make your transition from an unhealthy lifestyle a little bit easier.

Give a little bit. In terms of your diet, it is totally unreasonable to expect someone to pull a nutritional 180 overnight. Instead, focus on making smaller changes that stick over time. Start by dedicating one night each week to cooking a heart healthy recipe and slowly increase the frequency of your healthier meals. Before you know it, you will begin to prefer your healthy meals over the fattier, processed foods you were used to.

One step at a time. Just as with your diet, you shouldn’t expect to be able to go from the couch to a 5K overnight. The first steps you take will likely be the most difficult, but exercising will eventually become second nature and—wait for it—even enjoyable. Start by taking a stroll around your neighborhood a few nights a week and bring along your kids, significant other, or dog. The more the merrier!

Ditch the bad habits. If you smoke or hit happy hour a little too often, it’s time to put your bad habits in check. Even if you start exercising and eating well, smoking and drinking can undermine all of your hard work. There are plenty of options for quitting smoking and learning how to enjoy alcohol in moderation. With a little hard work, your heart will thank you!

Help Along the Way

No one ever said revamping your lifestyle would be easy. What they probably said, rather, is that no one truly transitions to healthy living all alone. Behind each person that has made a drastic lifestyle change is a team of friends and loved ones, as well as a dedicated healthcare provider.

Before you start a new diet or exercise plan, talk to your physician. He or she may prescribe specific diets or exercises that can help ensure your success. Also, never be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or coworkers. The more you surround yourself with individuals working toward the same goal, the easier and more fun your transition will be!

As an added boost, many supplement a healthy lifestyle and diet with heart-healthy supplements, from flax oil to amino acids. We stock a wide range of high-quality heart support supplements to help.