Protect Your Heart and Your Sobriety

Getting help for your addiction is perhaps the best thing you can do for your heart! Drugs and alcohol take a toll on this vital organ, causing cardiovascular problems ranging from abnormal heart rate and bacterial infections of the blood vessels to heart attack and stroke.

6 Heart-Smart Steps
Once you’re in recovery, you can continue to care for your ticker. And, perhaps, the best part: These heart-healthy habits do double-duty, helping your long-term sobriety and cardiovascular health.

1. Go fish. Just a few servings of fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines, tuna) can reduce your risk of a heart attack. The omega-3s in this type of fish helps your mental health, too; these healthy fats help fend off depression. Not a fan of fish? Other heart-friendly superfoods include berries, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), avocados, and cruciferous veggies (kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts).
2. Eat the right fats. Trans fat (found in some processed and fried foods) and saturated fats can increase the amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol in your body — and this ups your risk of heart disease. Replace both trans and saturated fats in your diet with healthier unsaturated fats (mono- and polyunsaturated).
3. Stop smoking. With each puff, you’re putting your heart at risk. This is because nicotine releases a toxin that lowers the HDL (good) cholesterol in your body.
4. Get moving. Exercise boosts your HDL cholesterol, lowers your LDL cholesterol, and minimizes plaque build-up in your arteries — plus it helps keep stress in check. Build up to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (jogging, cycling, hiking, playing tennis) most days of the week.
5. Prioritize sleep. A good night’s slumber isn’t a luxury, but a necessity for protecting both your heart and your sobriety. In fact, getting less than six hours per night can increase your risk of heart disease.
6. Make time for meditation. Meditation has long been associated with heart-healthy stress reduction, but it’s also been shown to improve LDL levels.

More on Meditation and Addiction

Many studies show that meditation has a notable impact on the brain’s self-control regions, making it an effective treatment for addiction recovery. Meditation is encouraged throughout your Complete Harmony residential stay. To learn more about our holistic addiction treatment, call 866-930-4673.