{"id":7309,"date":"2016-03-07T11:39:56","date_gmt":"2016-03-07T16:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/?p=7309"},"modified":"2016-03-11T11:01:33","modified_gmt":"2016-03-11T16:01:33","slug":"take-care-of-your-heart-bcbsnc-supports-preventive-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/2016\/03\/take-care-of-your-heart-bcbsnc-supports-preventive-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Care of Your Heart – BCBSNC Supports Preventive Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Family,Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina <\/a>is a strong advocate of preventive care and according to the American Heart Association<\/a>, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America.\u00a0 In fact, taking care of your heart may be one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and increase longevity, but how can you improve heart health?\u00a0 Truthfully, it’s nothing we don’t already know, but a few small, deliberate changes this year could make all the difference.<\/p>\n

Here are 5 easy things you can do to improve the condition of your heart:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. RELAX:\u00a0 This may sound simple, but in today’s fast-paced, media-driven\u00a0society, finding time to relax can be tough.\u00a0 It’s important for your heart, however, that you make relaxation a priority in your day.\u00a0<\/a> The kind of relaxation that relieves stress calms tension in your body and mind and can relax blood vessels in the heart, which results in lower blood pressure.\u00a0\u00a0Deliberate relaxation involves purposefully sitting quietly twice daily for 10-15 minutes.\u00a0 You should find a\u00a0distraction-free zone where you can\u00a0close your eyes and breathe deeply,\u00a0focusing on the intake and output of oxygen.\u00a0\u00a0Relaxing\u00a0with purpose can be a life-saving activity.<\/li>\n
  2. EAT SMART:\u00a0 Heart-healthy foods <\/a>include salmon, oatmeal, blueberries, dark chocolate, red wine, tomatoes, nuts, avocado and green leafy vegetables.\u00a0 Choosing a few times a week to\u00a0swap a less healthy protein such as beef or pork for a leaner protein such as fish can decrease your risk of heart disease substantially.\u00a0 Good fish options include sardines, anchovies, salmon, herring, trout, and canned white tuna.<\/li>\n
  3. STOP SMOKING:\u00a0 Smoking is just bad for your heart.\u00a0 It increases heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to blood clots in the blood vessels.\u00a0 Health insurance plans are typically 20% more expensive for people who smoke and this is the only health question you will be asked on an insurance application under the Affordable Care Act.\u00a0 The savings alone is reason enough to quit, but your heart will thank you also!\u00a0 Apply with BCBSNC today for your lower rate.<\/li>\n
  4. LIMIT CAFFEINE INTAKE:\u00a0 Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate.\u00a0 Be moderate in your consumption and try limiting your intake to no more than a cup or two a day of caffeinated beverages.\u00a0 If you like soda, sparkling water is an excellent substitute <\/a>and will give you all of the fizz without any of the negative health effects.<\/li>\n
  5. GET SOME SLEEP:\u00a0 When it comes to being heart healthy, getting a good night of sleep is paramount.\u00a0 Poor sleep quality adds stress to your heart and can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure.\u00a0 When it comes to your heart, getting sufficient sleep is just as important as maintaining diet and exercise.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It’s nothing new.\u00a0 In fact, it’s just what Mom always told you.\u00a0 Eat right, get some rest, and avoid bad habits that take a toll on\u00a0your heart.\u00a0 It’s a new year and making these few simple changes could give your heart a whole new chance at life!\u00a0 BCBSNC supports heart health by offering preventive care services covered at 100%<\/a>.\u00a0 Contact one of our licensed and professional agents <\/a>to discuss your Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina options.<\/p>\n

    For\u00a0more information, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com <\/a>or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our experienced and professional agents.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

     <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is a strong advocate of preventive care and according to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in America.\u00a0 In fact, taking care of your heart may be one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and increase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,635],"tags":[23,53,711,98],"class_list":["post-7309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness","category-preventive-care-2","tag-bcbsnc","tag-health-insurance","tag-heart-disease","tag-preventive-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7309"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7523,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7309\/revisions\/7523"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nchealthplans.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}