Health Conditions

Heart health

Build healthier habits for a healthier heart

Your heart health is an important part of your overall health. Blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and other factors can all affect your risk for heart disease and stroke. Lifestyle medicine brings these pieces together to help protect your heart and support your long-term health.

Proactive care

Heart health is shaped by many interconnected factors, including:

  • Nutrition and overall dietary patterns
  • Physical activity and how your body uses energy
  • Sleep quality and duration
  • Stress and its effects on your body
  • Body composition and metabolic healthDaily habits that build over time

Lifestyle medicine brings these factors together as part of a whole-person approach to care. Your clinician can help you identify where to focus, track changes in your health, and adjust your care over time.

Meaningful progress

When healthy lifestyle changes become part of your care, improvements in one area can often support others. Progress may show up in how you feel and function, as well as changes in blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and other health measures. Small improvements across multiple areas can add up to meaningful change over time.

Early changes

  • More stable energy throughout the day
  • Fewer blood sugar swings
  • Better sleep or mood
  • Improved hunger and fullness cues

Measurable improvements

  • Improved A1C or fasting blood sugar
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Improved cholesterol or triglycerides
  • Improvements in weight or body composition, when appropriate

Functional improvements

  • Better stamina and strength
  • Improved focus and mental clarity
  • Greater consistency with healthy routines

Clinical changes

  • Adjustments to medications or treatments as your health changes
  • Changes to your care plan based on your progress
  • Adjustments to medications or treatments as your health changes
  • Reduced overall health risk

Questions to ask your care team

What factors are having the biggest impact on my heart health right now?

Which lifestyle changes could make the biggest difference for my heart health?

What should we focus on first so making changes feels manageable?

What health measures should we track to know whether my heart health is improving?

How do my medications fit into my care plan, and how will we know if they need to be adjusted?

Cardiovascular Health and Plant-Based Nutrition

An introduction to how a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern may support heart and cardiometabolic health.

Best for: People who want to use nutrition to support healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and heart health.

Use with your clinician: Bring questions like, “Which nutrition changes would most benefit my cardiovascular risk factors?” to your next visit.

Important: Major nutrition changes can affect blood pressure, blood sugar, and medication needs. Coordinate changes with your healthcare team.

Download: Cardiovascular Health and Plant-Based Nutrition (PDF)

First Steps to Health Restoration

A practical starting guide for using evidence-based lifestyle habits to address root causes and move toward better health.

Best for: People ready to take an active role in preventing, treating, or potentially improving a chronic condition.

Use with your clinician: Bring questions like, “What is the safest and most meaningful first step for improving my health?” to your next visit.

Important: Lifestyle changes can affect symptoms, blood pressure, blood sugar, and medication needs. Work with your healthcare team as your health changes.

Download: First Steps to Health Restoration (PDF)

Health Parameters: Color Journey

A visual tool for following important health measures and recognizing changes over time.

Best for: People who want an easy way to understand and discuss their personal health measures.

Use with your clinician: Bring questions like, “Which health measures should I follow, what is my target range, and how often should they be checked?” to your next visit.

Important: A single measurement does not tell the whole story. Review trends, targets, and next steps with your healthcare team.

Download: Health Parameters: Color Journey (PDF)