Nourishing your heart

Recent research shows that factors like your housing situation, environment and access to resources can influence your heart health. Access to health care, stress levels, availability of grocery stores with healthy options and local attitudes toward healthy behaviors all play a role in your ability to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle.

While it’s not always possible to control where you live, VA can help identify and implement changes you can make in your daily habits to support your heart health.

Key lifestyle adjustments

Here are some key lifestyle adjustments to focus on:

• Follow a healthy eating plan. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean proteins in your diet. Heart-healthy fats, like those found in avocados, nuts and olive oil can help lower unhealthy cholesterol levels.
• Increase your movement. Regular physical activity improves heart function and helps maintain a healthy weight.
• Avoid tobacco products. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease and can damage your blood vessels over time.
• Prioritize sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours each night, as quality sleep helps regulate stress hormones and blood pressure.
• Speak to your health care provider about checking your blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels regularly.

Improving options

If access to healthy food is a challenge, there are ways to improve your options

• Consider shopping at local farmers’ markets for fresh, affordable produce. The Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program is designed to provide low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs.
• Many communities have programs that bring healthy foods directly to underserved areas, such as mobile food markets or community-supported agriculture subscriptions.
• Online grocery services or delivery programs can be another way to get fresh and healthy ingredients if transportation is limited.

VA can help connect Veterans with resources to access nutritious and affordable food. VA facilities across the country also offer Healthy Teaching Kitchen programs which teach Veterans about food, nutrition, and how to make healthy and delicious foods.

Visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel to watch video recipes. 

If you’re interested in learning about a heart-healthy diet or any other nutrition related topic, contact your local VA to speak with a registered dietitian.