Here are a few cardiologist approved New Years Resolutions!
Quit Smoking
- Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, your heart rate begins to normalize.
- 12 hours after you quit, your carbon monoxide levels lower.
- 1 year after you quit, your risk of heart disease is lowered by nearly half!
Learn A New Hobby to Reduce Stress
When you learn to cope with stress in new ways, you can look forward to better sleep, fewer headaches and a decreased chance of developing hypertension.
Eat Out Less
Food prepared at restaurants or fast food chains is higher in sodium. By eating at home more often, you can reduce your sodium intake easily.
Donate Blood More Often
Blood donation is an opportunity to contribute to someone else’s good health. While this may not benefit your health, it is a meaningful way to give back and help someone else who may need a transfusion. Find a location here!
Drink Less Alcohol
Binge drinking is considered the consumption of 3+ drinks in a short period of time for the intent to get drunk. Regular, heavy drinking can have devastating effects on your body.
- Drinking can increase your risk of stroke.
- Hypertension is a side effect of a high alcohol diet.
- Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle or cardiovascular system) and cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) are also common in older binge drinkers.
- Frequent binge drinking can cause atrial fibrillation.
If you are having problems giving up alcohol, speak with your doctor about options.
Visit Your Cardiologist
Many people don’t make their annual appointments to for routine care. Prevention is always the best cure. You can make an appointment with your Central Georgia Heart Center provider here!
