How you can protect your health with preventive heart care

Do you have growing reservations about the American healthcare system? You’re certainly not alone. 

Today, three in four people (76%) don’t leave their doctor’s office on a good note. Many feel lost about their diagnosis, confused about their at-home care regime, or unimpressed by the short or dismissive Q&A that results in a prescription rather than solid guidance.

The truth is that doctors aren’t trying to put you off or provide lackluster advice. This is the inevitable result of a Western medical system that’s transformed from proaction to reaction.

Roughly 75% of our healthcare dollars are spent responding to chronic disease, which leaves just 25% for preventive healthcare. We can see how this turned out over the past few decades: heart disease is up, mortality rates have skyrocketed, and more than one in four people struggle with multiple chronic diseases. 

Our healthcare system’s deviance from prevention to reparation has only made Americans sicker. 

If you suspect there’s something amiss with your heart but your doctor doesn’t see anything wrong, it may be time to take matters into your own hands with preventive heart care.

What is preventive heart care?

The modern American healthcare system is little more than a symptom suppressant. Pharmaceutical companies are quick to prescribe ‘management’ medications, but are rarely available to prevent or stave off illness.

That’s why preventive heart care is so critical to metabolic health. 

You can think of preventive heart care as the process of preventing heart disease rather than treating symptoms after the fact. The goal is to identify habits or behaviors that may contribute to chronic disease (such as diabetes), then take corrective actions or protect your heart and reduce your risk for diagnosis.

The benefits of preventive heart care are well demonstrated:

• From a financial perspective, missed preventive healthcare opportunities cost the US $55 billion per year — nearly $0.30 per healthcare dollar for patients and their families.
• Roughly seven in ten US deaths are caused by chronic disease. However, many of these are largely avoidable through proper care and health screenings.
• Preventive heart care could save up to 100,000 lives per year, saving parents, children, family, and friends from a needless early death.

But getting preventive healthcare can be harder than it sounds. 

For one thing, the American healthcare system has pivoted to a far less preventive model, making it tougher to have candid conversations with doctors and healthcare providers.

Plus, many of us may feel shy or embarrassed about visiting doctors who don’t show interest in prevention. We may worry about looking stupid or inept talking about what we feel, leading us to hide symptoms until they’re too big to ignore.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, many of us don’t realize heart disease is even preventable. We’ve been told chronic illness is inevitable for decades, and now, we’re paying the price.

That’s not to say there’s no hope, however. Preventive heart care is obtainable, and getting started won’t cost you a dime.

Let’s take a closer look at what you need to do to protect your metabolic health.

Steps you can take for preventive heart care

There’s no magic pill or miracle diet that can undo heart disease. That said, making intentional decisions to take care of your heart can prevent serious illnesses before they manifest.

Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Start by finding a doctor who ‘gets’ it. If your current GP isn’t meeting your needs, you have full authority to look elsewhere for someone who does. I’ve written a comprehensive physician vetting guide to get you started.
2. Forget everything you know about the American food pyramid. Much of the bad and outdated advice could harm rather than help your heart, especially when it comes to limiting fats and consuming processed foods. Instead, strive for whole, real foods whenever possible and eliminate unhealthy habits from your diet.
3. Make time for exercises that strengthen your heart. Even a simple walk around the neighborhood can prevent serious disease, while regular weightlifting and resistance training can build muscle and increase metabolic activity. Remember: you don’t need to set aside a full hour at once for exercise. Cumulative exertion adding up to at least 30 minutes a day may be enough for preventive heart care.
4. Invest in solid education. You may want to take online metabolic health courses to learn more about the impacts of specific activities on your heart. I offer multiple online courses with detailed information to get you started immediately.

Good heart health starts with prevention — not a prescription. And no one will care as deeply about preventive health as you.
If you’re interested in learning more about preventive heart care but not sure where to get started, you can sign up for one of my metabolic health coaching memberships to receive monthly guidance and direction. Feel free to discuss your symptoms in detail and ask specific questions, then visit my monthly Q&A to chat about next steps.