Go guilt free to be heart healthy

Don't let guilt get in the way of a healthy heart.

Instead of feeling guilty if your blood pressure is high or your cholesterol is out of control, Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., an attending cardiologist and Director of Women and Heart Disease at the Heart and Vascular Institute of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, says turn energy you’d use feeling guilty toward making changes in your lifestyle. To ditch the guilt, remind yourself that 80 percent of heart disease is preventable. “And recognize that it's never too late to adopt a healthier lifestyle to make a difference in your heart’s health,” says Irene Levine, Ph.D., a psychologist in New York, New York and professor at the New York University School of Medicine.