4 Ways to Prevent Heart Disease

Preventing heart disease is simple according to National Jewish Health Cardiologist Andrew Freeman, MD. Get his top four ways to prevent heart disease.

Transcript

The number one thing I love to do is prevent disease, and preventing cardiovascular disease is why I went into cardiology.

Now getting people to prevent disease on their own is not an easy thing, because is takes hard work even though most of it is free.

And there are really four major things I recommend to patients to prevent a heart attack.

One is to eat better.

Now, for a lot of people they think they're eating pretty well, and they get a salad, and they put ranch on it and some eggs and a bunch of cheese, and, basically, what they've done is transform their salad into a cheeseburger.

And, that is not a healthful way.

Really, it is a low fat, whole foods, plant based, unprocessed diet.

These days it’s actually very easy to do with readily available inexpensive ingredients.

Things like oats for breakfast and some brown rice and beans for lunch with a beautiful salsa on top.

That kind of meal is an easy way to do it without a lot of trouble.

So that’s one.

Two is exercise.

Thirty minutes of brisk activity a day that leads to breathlessness.

And, if you have orthopedic issues, swim.

If that doesn’t work, bike.

Try a recumbent bike.

Try an elliptical.

If you have trouble with your legs, use an arm bike.

Whatever you’re able to do to get to breathlessness is the goal.

Obviously, check with your doctor first.

So that’s two.

The third thing is stress.

So most people don’t realize, but stress, especially in western society, is incredibly high.

People have all sort of stressors, from marriage, to work, to finances, everything.

Spend thirty minutes a day, meditate, pray, be introspective, do yoga.

Do whatever you have to do to let things go.

Four and final, and this is an interesting one.

Most heart doctors never talk about love.

But why is love associated with the heart?

Because, they really go hand and hand, and the data suggests that people who have supportive connections in life, a spouse, a family member, a dog, even, they do better.

They have less heart attacks.

They survive heart attacks better.

And, believe it or not, there is an emerging field of science in medicine showing this exact thing.

So, to put it all together in a way that people can really remember, live like a poor crop farmer.

Now, that may seem strange, but it’s pretty simple.

Eat what you grow.

Be active your whole life.

Be one with the earth.

Be at peace and connected to others.

That’s it.

And if you can do that, that is the best way to prevent heart disease.