Self-Care for People with Heart Disease

Even though heart disease is the biggest killer in the U.S, it is totally preventable if you know the correct things to do.

Use these guidelines and you can be well on your way to manage your heart disease.

Minimize Your Risk	Understand The Risk	Learn More/Get Help
Get Educated	The food and drug industries lobby congress and the FDA every year to allow unsafe foods in our diet. Get the FACTS about how your heart functions and what foods affect cardiovascular health.	Understand the heart - and how it functions. Understand Cardiovascular conditions and how they develop.
Get a free test to access your risk.	The Symptom Survey Analysis can quickly determine if your cardiovascular system is as risk.	Take a free test here.
Get tested by a licensed practitioner	If your heart condition has you or your doctor stumped, look for a qualified doctor in your area.	Make an appointment with a licensed health care provider.
Understand how the CRA practitioner tests for heart problems.	One or more of the following reflex points will often be active when an individual with heart problems presents to the doctor's office.	Blood Quality Reflex, Circulation Reflex, Hemoglobin Reflex, Metabolic Heart Reflex Sub-Reflex, Towers Meridian Reflex, The Master Brain Reflex, Crown-Sugar Reflex, Liver-Metal Overload Pus Sub-Reflex
Don't smoke	Smoking lowers HDL (good cholesterol), raises LDL (bad cholesterol), raises the blood pressure, and worsens atherosclerosis.	It's not easy to quit smoking. If you don't smoke, don't start. It you do smoke, it's important to quit. Ask your doctor about programs to help you quit.
Control your blood pressure	The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk for heart disease. Weight loss, exercise and low sodium diets help to reduce blood pressure. If blood pressure elevations persist, medication is warranted.	Limit alcohol. Lose weight if you are overweight. Include safe exercise. Get your adrenal glands tested and see if you have cortisol or DHEA imbalances. Adrenal problems are extremely common with hypertension.
Work toward and maintain a healthy weight for you.	Excess weight is associated with high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, higher LDL (bad cholesterol), lower HDL (good cholesterol), and can cause the onset of diabetes.	Eat less fat and total calories. Include exercise that has been approved by your physician. Consider weight loss counseling with a registered dietitian, or a try formal weight loss program.
Limit alcohol intake	Alcohol can raise the blood pressure, the triglycerides and the weight, all of which increase the risk of heart disease.	Limit to no more than one drink per day for women, or two drinks per day for men. Certain medical conditions require complete avoidance of alcohol. Speak with your doctor about alcohol use.
Limit dietary fats, especially saturated fats	Excess dietary fat contributes to obesity and to heart disease. Saturated fats can raise the LDL cholesterol.	Use lean meats and nonfat dairy products. Limit added fats. Cook with lowfat cooking methods. Learn more about the facts on fats.
Get the facts about cholesterol	Medical propaganda abounds about excess cholesterol and there is more false information that true.	Read The Cholesterol Myths.
Control your stress	Stress can elevate the blood pressure and the heart rate. Reacting to stress by smoking, drinking, or overeating can increase the risk of heart disease.	Learn to manage stress in a healthy manner. Get your adrenal glands tested as stress greatly impacts blood sugar levels which can lead to hypertension.
Eat a heart healthy diet	Poor diet choices can be at the root of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease.	Healthy food choices are the ingredients for a healthy body. Learn to eat for heart health.
Treat diabetes effectively to control blood sugar levels	Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes increase the risk of developing heart disease. Almost 1/2 of the people in the United States who have type 2 diabetes are undiagnosed and don't even know they have it!	Get screened to find out if you have diabetes. If you do have diabetes, seek care from a medical team that specializes in diabetes.
Include safe exercise	Exercise can help raise HDL (good cholesterol), lower LDL (bad cholesterol), lower mildly elevated blood pressure, condition lungs and heart, improve circulation, reduce stress and help with weight control. Exercise also helps improve blood sugar control in Type 2 diabetes.	Check with your physician before starting any exercise program. If you have heart disease it is important to be evaluated and to have your exercise routine designed for your safety and ability.