February is Heart Awareness Month
The Dream Team at Snore MD has gathered seven steps to help you and your loved one keep your heart healthy!
- Manage your blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure dramatically increases the risk for stroke and heart disease; regularly check your blood pressure at a local Snore MD clinic or your doctor’s office.
- Check and control your cholesterol. Health experts advise that excessive cholesterol can clog your blood vessels, increasing your risk of stroke.
- Reduce your sugar consumption. Sugar in our bodies is converted into the fuel we all need for our activities throughout the day. However, most North Americans consume far too much sugar, resulting in weight gain.
- Get out and exercise! Simply put, daily physical activity increases your quality of life and decreases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and depression.
- Butt Out! Smoking is shown to increase the workload on your heart muscles, decreasing cardiac output, an important factor that can cause heart attacks.
- Make sure quality sleep is part of your routine. Focus on healthy sleep. Get enough hours every night and by ensuring your room is cool and dark for a deep slumber. Deep, restorative sleep is crucial for heart functions.
- Get your sleep checked! Not sure if you are having your best sleep possible? Snore MD makes it easy to ensure you get the critical sleep you need to keep your ticker healthy!
Studies have shown that better sleep can have a positive impact on your well-being, mentally, physically and emotionally. If you have any questions about sleep quality or how to improve sleep, reach out to one of our sleep experts online or at one of our convenient locations in Western Canada.