6 Heart Health Tips for the Whole Family

Are you looking for ways to keep your family healthy? You may think of heart disease as only affecting older people, but heart health is an important consideration for children, teens, and young adults, as well. Heart health status later in life is certainly affected by our choices earlier in life, so kids can benefit greatly from learning good habits. The older population needs heart healthy habits as well, and sometimes their lives depend upon it. It’s best when the family can work together and encourage each other toward optimal heart health.  Discover 6 tips to help improve heart health for the whole family.

1. Eat Healthy Meals Together at the Table. This can be at a restaurant or at home, but the idea is to eat healthy food together without distractions. Eating together helps reduce stress and improves family relationships. Eating healthy food helps keep everyone at lower risk for heart disease and teaches the kids how to eat right. 

Eating heart healthy as a family means not eating sugar and simple carbohydrates. This is sometimes a difficult transition for a family to make, but you can do it.  Have a family meeting and set a date for starting Dr. Hotze’s Optimal Eating Program together. 

Also, read labels and look for 0 to 3 grams sugar, at least 4-5 grams of fiber, and at least 5-10 grams of protein. Most foods with this nutrient profile don’t have labels and will be found in the meat or produce section. Foods like organic kale, organic spinach, organic romaine lettuce, wild salmon, organic chicken, grass fed beef, organic blueberries and organic broccoli are among some of the healthiest choices. 

As far as what to avoid, be sure to lookout for hidden sugars in yogurt, coffee drinks, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, syrup and honey, to name a few. Staying on the outside aisles of the grocery store is a must, and keep a file of your favorite healthy recipes for easy meal planning.

2. Take Walks or Get the Family Active in Sports Together. Physical activity lowers stress which helps lower blood pressure. Walking together as a family or playing a sport (tennis or basketball, for example) can also help everyone in the home get daily cardio and have a better sense of well-being and brighter moods. Physical activity also burns calories which helps prevent weight gain, which is a serious threat to heart health. 

4. Take Vitamin C and Learn How it Protects Your Heart. When you think of vitamin C, the first thing that may come to mind is that it can help fight off colds and the flu. However, did you know that vitamin C does much more than this? It plays a crucial role in the health of your heart because the cause of heart disease involves a vitamin C deficiency, inflammation and oxidative damage. Did you know that vitamin C helps promote blood vessel and arterial health? Click here to discover more information on how vitamin C protects your heart.

At the end of the day, especially for mom and dad (40 and over), it’s not possible to know your heart health status for sure unless the heart is scanned for calcium build up. Ask your provider at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center about getting a heart scan to get a closer look at your heart health status and possible risks. It's better to be proactive so that you can do something about it.

Please feel free to call us with any questions about supplements or Dr. Hotze's Optimal Eating Program at 281-646-1659 and speak with one of our Certified Holistic Nutritionists and Vitamin Consultants. It will be our privilege to serve you!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.