Stress Raises Cholesterol and Risk for Heart Disease

If you're trying to keep your heart healthy, there are a number of things you can do. Eat a healthy diet low in sodium, get regular exercise, if you smoke – quit, and lose weight if you need to.

But learning how to control stress is sometimes overlooked. But it shouldn't be. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and other institutions have all found that too much stress increases cholesterol levels and contributes to poor heart health.

So what can you do about it? Here are some ways to control stress:

• Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing.
• Try yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
• Listen to calming music.
• Laugh more. Read a funny book or watch a funny movie.
• Take a walk, or make time for another form of exercise.
• Find a way to lighten your load at home, work, or other activities.

Keeping stress under control is an important part of managing your heart health. Managing your diet by limiting sodium is too. So why not take the stress out of cooking, grocery shopping, and trying to figure out what to make in the kitchen?

It's easy. All you have to do is check out all of our Low-Sodium meals and pick your favorites. We'll ship them right to your door. Drop them in the freezer. And when it's meal time, your healthy and stress-free meal will be ready in minutes.