An Excerpt from Chapa-De News: February 2025
Article by Cheyenne Mulder, RD
Registered Dietitian
February 6, 2025
February is American Heart Month and according to the American Heart Association, this year’s theme is “Reclaim Your Rhythm.” There are a variety of things people can do to promote their heart health and avoid cardiovascular (heart) related diseases and complications. Eating a healthy balanced diet, getting daily exercise, keeping up with medical appointments, taking prescribed medications, and working on overall lifestyle habits can make a huge difference in maintaining/achieving heart healthy benefits.
Eat Healthy: A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a great promoter of heart health. These foods are all high in fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels, contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help keep your heart and body healthy.
Get your Exercise: The CDC recommends doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week, such as brisk walking. You can also do a combination of cardiovascular and strength training for added health benefits. This can include walking, jogging, hiking, and even swimming. Exercise not only helps with your heart health, but can also help with reducing stress, improve mood, and assist with weight management.
Stop Smoking/Vaping: Smoking is a hard habit to kick, but it can really make all the difference if you are working on lowering your blood pressure and developing new habits to promote your heart health. Talk to your provider if you need additional support, are interested in community resources or visit KickItCA.org/call 1-800-300-8086.
There are several other factors that can contribute to being heart-healthy such as getting regular checkups (including routine blood work), checking your blood pressure regularly if recommended by your primary care provider, getting adequate sleep and finding ways to reduce stress and increase your level of relaxation.
Hear it from a Professional:
Dr. Glenn Gookin (Chapa-De Staff Physician/Residency Program Director)
“There is significant evidence, and I strongly subscribe to the idea of cardiovascular fitness being an important tenant of overall health. I encourage my patients to follow the recommendations of the American Heart Association of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week. I recommend to add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week. Spend less time sitting. Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary.
Those recommendations are minimums! I tell patients to gain even more benefits by being active at least 300 minutes (5 hours) per week. And changing habits is a very hard thing. It cannot be accomplished all at once. I recommend a graduated or graded exercise program to ramp up at a reasonable rate!”
If you would like to learn more about how to keep your heart healthy, schedule time with your Chapa-De medical provider. We will meet you where you are in your health journey and partner to find a routine that works best for your lifestyle. Schedule now with the Healow app.
Read more of our February newsletter:
Chapa-De Indian Health Auburn Grass Valley | Medical Clinic
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