One of the best ways to prevent heart disease and stroke is by adopting a reduced inflammatory lifestyle. Inflammation plays a huge role in both of these diseases. This means:
-Eating more anti-inflammatory foods and less pro-inflammatory meals
-Engaging in moderate exercise most days of the week, like brisk walking
-Getting enough sleep every night to repair your body
-Learning how to manage stress (and finding a good therapist if needed)
-Making time for hobbies you love
-Do something to calm your mind every day (meditation, walking, yoga, breathing & heart health excercises, journaling) to help bring peace and balance into your life on an ongoing basis
To form lasting lifestyle habits, it’s best to start by choosing one or two areas above to start with. Take small steps and celebrate your success immediately after doing the positive habit. Celebration immediately after is the most powerful behavior to lock in a habit. This is because the neurotransmitter dopamine is immediately released in your brain. Since dopamine is the chemical for pleasure, the habit is instantly reinforced. Think about how fast a child learns a new behavior when they are celebrated right after.
An example of the above process would be, right after doing your walk for the day, you congratulate yourself in the way that feels most natural. A silent ‘good job,’ or a smile will do the trick. The more you do this, the more your brain learns that this behavior should be repeated.
There are many brain hacks like the one I just mentioned to form long-term habits. There are also many to break bad habits. If you need more assistance on how to do this, I may be able to help you. I offer a free 15-minute initial consultation. After, appointments are based on a sliding-scale payment basis. Click here to learn more: https://www.drclairedonley.com/
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I wish you the best on your health journey ♥