When you choose healthy behaviors, you can lower your heart disease risk while also preventing other serious chronic conditions.

• Know your Health History – Talk with your doctor about your family’s health history.
• Eat Healthy – Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products more often. Try and eat less salt, saturated fat and added sugar.
• Move More – Aim for 150 minutes of aerobic activity every week and muscle strengthening activities 2 days per week.
• Avoid/Quit Smoking – Call 1-800-QUITNOW to take the first step on your journey to quit.
• Take Medicines as Directed – Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and ask questions if you don’t understand something. Never stop taking medication without consulting your doctor first.
• Choose Drinks Wisely – Choose water most often. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. 1 drink per day for woman and 2 for men.
• Monitor Blood Pressure at Home – Aside from getting your blood pressure checked by your doctor, monitoring at home with your own device is easy to do.

Read more about Heart Health and other important topics in Highmark’s Plan for Health Newsletter.

For even more Heart Health advice, check out the article “Pump It Up” available in the latest issue of Community Health magazine.  Click here to read now.