If you just recovered from a Heart Association.
“We now have so many wonderful ways to treat people who have just been diagnosed with Heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, it’s been something that’s been developing for a while,” Champion says. “You didn’t get it suddenly.”
Your arteries are flexible tubes that carry fruits and vegetables — is an important way of controlling cardiovascular disease. Ask your provider for specific recommendations. Or get a referral to a nutritionist. Depending on your condition, you may need to reduce the salt in your diet as well.
Champion says that, after a heart attack or stroke, people are often wary of exercise. “They’re afraid that something bad will happen if they push themselves,” he tells WebMD. However, you’re not as fragile as you think. Champion recommends working with your doctor or looking into a cardiac rehabilitation program. These programs allow you to start exercising in a safe environment watched over by health care professionals. It’s a great way to ease into exercise and build up your confidence.
Sticking to It
Making big — and permanent — changes to your lifestyle isn’t easy. Eating healthier foods and exercising may be a lot easier at first, since fear is a great motivator. The minute you checked out of the hospital, you may have rushed out for a stack of healthy cookbooks, a new tracksuit, and a gym membership. But as the memory of your heart attack or stroke fades, your health kick may lose some of its momentum.
“Sticking to changes in your behavior is really hard,” says Ross.
But don’t give up. Sure, you may slip every once and a while. But the next day, you have to get back on your food and . Don’t ever lose sight of how important these lifestyle changes are for your health.
Here are some tips from the experts on how to stick to your plan.
- Find support. It’s key that you pay attention to your psychological health. “>major depression after a heart attack, but it often goes untreated.
Don’t ignore symptoms of depression. It won’t only make you feel terrible. Depression can worsen conditions like high blood pressure. It also raises the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke.
- Get your family involved. You can’t change your way of life on your own. You need to have the support of your family.
“I really try to get the whole family involved, and will often invite a patient’s partner into the clinic,” says Champion. “Changing your lifestyle has got to be a team effort. Everyone may need to make some changes. For instance, you can’t tell dad to quit smoking if mom is still smoking.”
- Be careful of alternative treatments. “I understand why people want to ‘go natural’ in their treatment,” says Champion. “I think a multivitamin is perfectly reasonable. But don’t go overboard. Why on earth would you turn to a 16-year-old behind the checkout counter at a health food store for advice about treating your arteries?” Instead, always check with your doctor before trying any herb or supplement. Some alternative treatments can cause risky interactions with standard medicines.
Finally, don’t despair. “A lot of patients will have a strong family history of cardiovascular disease and they’ll dwell on it,” says Champion. “Some want to just give up. But I remind them that while they can’t change their genes, there are so many other things that they can change.”
He urges people to look at the positives. “This is a much better disease to have now than it was 15 or 20 years ago,” Champion tells WebMD. “We have new medications and we know how to use old medications better. You now have a chance to make some changes in your life that can alter the whole course of this disease.”