A love of chemistry and physics led Dr. Jacqueline Tamis-Holland to cardiology — and a love of patient care has kept her there. Leading by example is very important to Dr. Tamis-Holland, who is Site Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab  at Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital and Director of Women’s Heart NY.

“Many of the risk factors for heart disease can be controlled or even avoided,” says Tamis-Holland. “So there are actually a lot of steps people can take for a healthier heart.”

Start with a healthy lifestyle

One of the most important things people can do for themselves is to limit their risk factors for heart disease. Number one on that list, she says, is eliminating smoking — including secondary smoke exposure. Also at the top of the list: eating a heart-healthy diet and maintaining a regular exercise routine. Tamis-Holland also recommends that everyone, even seemingly healthy individuals, improve his or her health by following the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7”:

1. Get Active
2. Control Cholesterol
3. Eat Better
4. Manage Blood Pressure
5. Lose Weight
6. Reduce Blood Sugar
7. Stop Smoking

How to avoid food temptation

With a naturally small build, Dr. Tamis-Holland gets her fair share of skepticism from patients who don’t believe she has to work hard at maintaining a heart-healthy weight. “Like anyone, I’ve had a harder time staying thin with age,” she says. “When you are naturally thin, you often don’t pay as much attention to the foods that you eat. That’s why it’s so important to strategize what you’re putting into your body to maximize nutrition and minimize excess calories, regardless of your size.”

Though she used to indulge in a muffin for breakfast each day in medical school and residency, these days she sticks to a piece of fruit and a low-fat yogurt, followed by a salad for lunch and a reasonably healthy dinner. To help you resist temptation, she offers this eating guide:

Avoid:

•  Potato chips, pretzels and other snack-like products
• Cookies, cakes, pastries and ice cream
• Fried foods
• Candy and other sweets
• Soda and other sugary drinks

Eat In Moderation:

• Red meat
• Pork
• Pasta and other carbohydrates

Eat Often:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Skinless, grilled chicken and turkey
• Fish

Dr. Tamis-Holland does reserve a few special times during the year for herself and for her kids to break the rules. “If you’re going out for a family birthday or holiday, you should enjoy what you want,” she says. She also says it’s okay to have a “cheat meal” every 10 days or so – as long as you otherwise avoid temptation to eat unhealthy foods.

How to exercise a healthy heart

Most people assume that regular exercise requires a gym membership or at least, a hard-core regimen.  But according to Dr. Tamis-Holland, it can actually be much easier to get the recommended amount of exercise.

She says it takes about 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week to get your heart pumping oxygen-rich blood through your body. That’s just 30 minutes, five days a week. “It could be swimming, the rowing machine, the treadmill, a game of basketball or even brisk walking — whatever works for you. I have patients who go dancing and that’s great, too,” says Dr. Tamis-Holland.

For those with busy lifestyles, it is possible to incorporate exercise into everyday routines. Try getting off the subway one or two stops before your destination and walking the rest of the way. When you do that for both your morning and evening commute, the benefits really do add up.

Find a physician who can assess your risk factors for heart disease by calling 866.804.1007 or visiting www.mountsinaihealth.org