Heart Health Awareness: 6 Small Changes for Big Cardiovascular Benefits
It's once again the time of year when we are immersed in all things heart — from the sweet conversation type to the loving cardiac muscle that never sleeps. As pretty pink and red hearts adorn classrooms and offices for Valentine's Day, we also celebrate heart health.
The truth is cardiovascular health requires year-round attention as heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death both in the U.S. and worldwide. Thankfully, better health really does begin with little changes made over days, months, and eventually years.
This February, start by choosing just one of these simple heart-healthy changes to support your cardiovascular system. Once you've established one new habit, try adding in another for even more cardiovascular protection.
Together, let's choose to make some tiny changes for a heartful impact this month!
Meal plan from the heart
One of the easiest ways to establish new healthy habits is to piggyback on processes already in your routine. If you currently meal prep, focus on adding fiber to your plan by meeting the American Heart Association's recommendation of 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables daily.
If you don't already meal plan, no worries! Try these two ideas to add 2 cups of fruit to your diet:
- Wash up blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries. Dry them well. Measure the berries into 1/2 cup or 1 cup portions, and store in separate sealed containers lined with a folded paper towel to help with moisture control. When it's time to pack your lunch, grab a container or two of fresh, heart-healthy berries!
- Slice an apple, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Not only will the savory cinnamon keep the apple from browning so soon, initial research shows a promising connection between cinnamon supplementation and lower blood pressure (Source). So sprinkle that cinnamon with intention, for health's sake!
With the proper tools and processes, meal planning with your heart in mind has never been so easy!
AMA Serving Size Examples
- 1 cup serving of fruit = 1 large banana, 1 medium-sized whole fruit (e.g. apple, pear), or 2-3 kiwis
- 1 cup serving of vegetables = 1 large bell pepper, 12 baby carrots, 1 medium potato, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens
Source: American Heart Association
Fiber
Fiber is one of the most underrated and under-consumed nutrition powerhouses. Beyond fruits and veggies, try this tip to enhance your fiber intake. Batch cook beans in a pressure cooker, drain well, and freeze them into smaller 1/2 cup portions (try Souper Cubes) for effortlessly adding to salads, rice bowls, or soups.
Concerned about Consuming Beans?
We got you. Check out our digestive enzymes product, Devigest, which contains alpha galactosidase to make sure you get all the benefits of beans without the boisterous bloating.
Consume even less alcohol
If Emily in Paris has you doubling down on the ancient, elusive notion that a daily glass of red wine is good for your health, even your heart health,think again. More recent research, as presented in an Associated Press article, suggests we should drink even less alcohol for greater health benefits.
The article claims that alcohol consumption is linked to over 200 health issues, including cancers and cardiovascular diseases, spurring a worldwide movement to reduce intake recommendations with Europe leading the way. (Source: Associated Press)
Whereas many healthy habits are additive, this is one small deductive change. If you do choose to drink, take baby steps by tapering off your daily alcohol consumption until you have one or less drink per day. This will keep both your heart and cells freely functioning!
Swap simple sugars (for maybe an egg?)
You've heard this before! It would seem that every nutritionist, -ologist, and podcaster is telling us to reduce our sugar intake. Beyond the perils of obesity and cancers that may arise from consuming too much added sugar, scientists are also warning about its risks to our heart.
According to Harvard Medical School, “Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is okay.” This is because of the fiber, minerals, and antioxidants as well as protein and calcium in certain foods.
The article continues, “Since your body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to your cells.” This is a dramatic alternative to the glucose spike of a can of soda, which immediately hits the bloodstream and can eventually lead to insulin resistance, putting even more pressure on your heart.
Still not convinced? A 15-year study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2014 “found an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease” (Harvard Medical School). A diet high in added sugar can cause an increase in both blood pressure (hypertension) and chronic inflammation, mostly due to weight gain.
Processed sugar contains zero nutritional value, but it still provides many calories. Any calories that aren't used up are eventually stored as fat. That extra fat is a huge risk factor for heart disease.
This notion is echoed by The University of Kansas Health System, a top-performing academic medical center that provides care for patients with advanced heart disease: “Research is finding that added sugar and refined carbohydrates contribute to heart disease much more than was previously believed” (source). The good news? Eggs are back on the approved list!
Got a serious sweet tooth?
Limit your daily added sugar to 9 tsp (36 g) for men and 6 tsp (24 g) for women per the American Heart Association guidelines.
Prioritize the best supplements
Less is more. If you're looking for added support to reach your cardiovascular goals, stick to simple supplements that work! Look for these three ingredients, which are effective, natural, and well-studied for their heart-health benefits.
Nattokinase
Wouldn't it be cool if there was a supplement that could actually clean your blood?
Enter nattokinase.
This impressive enzyme is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health. Numerous studies show it supports the three pillars of ideal blood conditioning:
-
Clotting - Nattokinase effectively breaks down fibrin, a protein found in blood clots.
-
Pressure - Research shows that nattokinase can dissolve plaque build-up, supporting healthy cholesterol levels.
- Viscosity - Nattokinase has been found to support both systolic and diastolic blood viscosity by restoring normal blood flow in the body.
And the best part? Nattokinase is a widely studied enzyme with no serious adverse side effects, making it an easy choice for cardiovascular support.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K has garnered the limelight in recent years due to its symbiotic relationship with vitamin D. However, vitamin K also has a consequential impact on heart health.
Research shows that vitamin K very effectively moves calcium out of arteries, ensuring that they don't lose their flexibility or experience a reduction in blood flow from excessive calcium build-up.
Therefore, therapeutic supplementation of vitamin K may provide significant improvements in attaining clean and clear arteries for optimal cardiovascular health. When searching for a vitamin K supplement, be sure to look for one with full-spectrum K2 chains (noted as MKs) for the greatest health benefits, as well as the enzyme lipase to boost its absorption.
Magnesium Taurate
Magnesium = calm. Right? That's true for your heart as well! But how do you know which version to choose?
There are several types of magnesium, and one specifically supports cardiovascular health: magnesium taurate. This dynamic duo is actually a mash-up of the mineral magnesium and the amino acid taurine, best known for balancing electrolytes (salts and minerals) and regulating neurotransmitters in the body.
Together, these two powerhouses keep blood pressure levels in check, reducing strain on your heart, so that it can effortlessly pump blood throughout your entire body. Consider adding magnesium taurate to your supplement routine to support a healthy heart rhythm and relax your heart muscle for optimal blood pressure.
Exercise, and let the tech do the work
It's no surprise that exercise tops the list of heart-healthy tips. Aside from giving up smoking, it is the most influential change you can make to improve your health and lower your risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Exercise can be as simple and inexpensive as taking a brisk walk around the neighborhood or as intense as a HIIT workout (thanks to Anja from Apple Fitness+ for that!) Staying active can also manifest as a fun Latin dance class or a short core workout that finishes with stretching.
Above all, movement is key to heart health. Why? Exercise moves more oxygen through the blood, combatting arterial aging (think: stiff arteries). Furthermore, exercise naturally increases nitric oxide in blood vessels, causing them to expand, which increases blood flow and reduces blood pressure (source and source). Harvard Health says 2-3 miles of brisk walking each day can have a meaningful impact (source).
Accountability wrapped around your wrist
Thanks to the world of fitness tech, there are a multitude of smart watch options that gently remind you to get up and move! Many also track your exercise progress, and some even offer heart-specific monitoring, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and ECGs that detect irregular heart rates.
These daily checks offer insight into your own cardiovascular health over time and can give your healthcare provider additional data if problems arise. If you have cardiovascular concerns, wearing a fitness watch is a simple change that both encourages healthy movement and alerts you to potentially dangerous deviations.
So, grab your smart watch, and get moving!
How much movement?
The AMA recommends 150 minutes of “moderate-intensity” or 75 minutes of “vigorous” aerobic exercise per week for adults.
Science + Support
If you'd like to monitor your own cardiovascular health while also helping the scientific community, check out Stanford Medical's My Heart Counts app.
Protect your heart from too much stress
The mounting evidence that confirms a connection between emotional health and heart health is quite enlightening. In the article Emotions and Heart Health, the University of Rochester Medical Center confirms that “Science suggests a link among stress, depression, and heart disease.”
The cycle goes something like this: Stress leads to poor behavioral choices (such as drinking, endlessly scrolling social media, smoking, or stress eating), which invites depression, and releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.
Before you know it, your heart rate is up; your blood vessels are constricted; blood pressure and blood sugar levels escalate; and your heart is seriously stressed out, pumping harder and faster than its preferred “chill” rate.
If you live a life that requires your heart to work at this level the majority of the time, it may have serious consequences that lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
5 ways to manage stress for a happy heart
- Start a worry journal or gratitude journal. Both of these journals can improve mental health, protecting you from the slippery slope of depression. A worry journal gives you a place to write all of the stress and anxiety you're experiencing; when you close it up, leave your concerns on the page.
A gratitude journal focuses on thankfulness and the beauty in life for mood balancing and stress relief. Both can support a good night's rest if done as part of your bedtime routine.
- Phone a friend. Nope, it's not a lifeline; it's life-giving! And no, this does not mean send an Instagram message into cyberspace. The science is clear that talking to someone you feel connected to reduces stress, which lowers blood pressure — and that makes a happy heart. If you're one of the 12% of people who don't have a close friend to call (source), see below.
- Bring back the chit-chat. The next time you go to a coffee shop or the gym, strike up a conversation with someone: the barista, receptionist, man with the golden doodle adorbs, or woman rockin' the lime green trench coat. The point is: talk to someone! Humans are social creatures, and the power of small talk has been documented (source). You may even make a stranger's heart happier in the process!
- Take deep breaths through your nose. Cleveland HeartLab explains, "Unlike breathing through your mouth, nose breathing helps release nitric oxide, a chemical that expands your blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and has an all-over calming effect." That's a pretty simple switch for some serious impact!
- Embrace “Together Tuesdays.” The American Heart Association recommends that people gather once a week with their favorite family and friends to prepare and enjoy meals, stating this ritual “reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and makes the whole family feel connected.” So pencil in “Together Tuesdays” on your calendar, and choose a new heart-healthy recipe to try each week!
Recipes
Need a little meal-planning inspo? Here's a list of Heart-Check Certified Recipes from the American Heart Association.
The Heart of a Woman
Women experience heart disease differently than men. Female symptoms include nausea, weakness, and fatigue verses the stereotypical male symptom of chest pain, one indicator of a pending heart attack (source).
Conclusion
High blood pressure (aka hypertension) is a major risk factor in heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. and abroad. Simple changes like meal planning to include more fiber, reducing alcohol consumption, being mindful of your sugar intake, finding the most effective cardiovascular supplements, tracking your fitness activity, and managing stress all provide meaningful progress toward a heart-healthy lifestyle.
So, this Valentine's Day, resist the urge to binge on those sweetheart conversation candies, and write a kind note with them instead. Make a toast with sparkling cider. Try a new workout. Schedule a meal with friends. But most of all, put your heart health first this month so that you can spend many more Februarys enjoying all things heart and health!
References
Abrams, Z. (2023, June). The science of why friendships keep us healthy. Monitor on Psychology. source
American Heart Association. (n.d.). American Heart Association recommendations for physical activity in adults. source
American Heart Association. (n.d.). Eat smart. source
American Heart Association. (n.d.). Fruits and vegetables serving sizes infographic. American Heart Association. source
American Heart Association. (2024, September 23). How much sugar is too much? American Heart Association. source
American Heart Association. (n.d.). Together Tuesdays. American Heart Association. source
Associated Press. (2025, January 3). How drinking alcohol can affect your health. Associated Press. source
Cleveland HeartLab. (2017, April 11). Nurturing nitric oxide: The heart-healthy chemical in your blood vessels. Cleveland HeartLab. source
Green, D. J., Hopman, M. T. E., Padilla, J., Laughlin, M. H., & Thijssen, D. H. J. (2017). Vascular adaptation to exercise in humans: Role of hemodynamic stimuli. Hypertension, 69(3), 868-879. source
Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Exercise and your arteries. Harvard Medical School. source
Harvard Medical School. (2022, January 6). The sweet danger of sugar. Harvard Health Publishing. source
National Library of Medicine. (2021, January-February). Cinnamon effects on blood pressure and metabolic profile: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in patients with stage 1 hypertension. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, 11(1), 1-9. source
Sovik-Johnston, A. (n.d.). The power of small talk. Active & Connected Family Therapy. source
Stanford University. (n.d.). My Heart Counts. Stanford University. source
The University of Kansas Health System. (2019, May). Podcast: Women and heart disease. The University of Kansas Health System. source
The University of Kansas Health System. (n.d.). Cracking the case on cholesterol. The University of Kansas Health System. source
University of Rochester Medical Center. (n.d.). Emotions and heart health. University of Rochester Medical Center. source
