As much as I love food, and I really love food, there is more to heart health than food alone. Energy, herbs and lifestyle support play a huge role too. I spend a lot of time with my clients going through the various lifestyle changes that are needed to support their health goals.

Here are 5 changes to your lifestyle that can improve your heart health, even if you have a long family history of angina, atherosclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.

Chronic stress, when we are stressed almost daily, has serious implications on our health. This kind of long-term stress can be from a demanding job, relationships or from our high expectations of ourselves. It can result in feelings of anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate, frequent colds and flu, pains and aches in the body, low mood, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue.

Clinical data has shown that chronic stress has serious implications for your heart health including an increase in plaque build up, cholesterol imbalance, triglyceride, blood sugar imbalance, inflammation and high blood pressure.

Reducing inflammation through nutrition and lifestyle change can dramatically cut heart disease risk shows large scale study.

Sugar. There is no denying that sweet treats like cakes and chocolate are delicious. You don’t need me to tell you that consuming too much sugar on a regular basis is not healthy. However, it might surprise you to know that even people who are not overweight or obese are at higher risk of developing heart disease due to excess sugar consumption.

Cholesterol is one of the most well known heart health markers and lowering cholesterol is one of the most Googled phrases heart related phrases in Ireland, Europe and the US.

Recent studies have shown that having low levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol can increase heart disease risk as well as risk of premature birth, depression and anxiety.

While having levels that are too high is associated with increased risk of plaque build up, heart attack and stroke.

Otherwise known as the silent killer, high blood pressure is one of the most dangerous conditions that anyone can have. Although “HBP” doesn’t always have symptoms, it significantly increases your risk of various problems, including heart disease, stroke, and even kidney problems. High blood pressure contributes to many of the leading causes of death in Europe and the United States.