Local experts offer advice on reducing stress and avoiding heart disease

You may not be able to avoid your biggest source of stress, but there are healthy ways to cope with it.

First, if you're using cigarettes to calm your nerves, it's time to stop.

"Smoking is by far the No. 1 cause of heart disease," says Dr. David Law of Cardiovascular Consultants. Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are all preventable or modifiable causes of heart disease, he notes.

"Most people already know the things that get them in trouble. Acting on it is the problem," says Law. "My biggest advice overall is to not just know your risk, but to accept it and make a change."

He and Eileen Sievers, registered nurse, clinical exercise specialist and wellness instructor at Saint Francis Medical Center, agree that the key is to start small and set realistic goals.

"It's more productive to take small steps for small changes than to try to overhaul your entire life," says Sievers. Deep breathing, meditation and regular exercise keep the heart muscles healthy; yoga and Pilates are especially good for lowering stress levels.

"With exercise you have to physically remove yourself to a place where the source of your stress doesn't exist," Sievers adds. "Chemicals released during exercise produce positive feelings that help you feel better and relieve stress."

Maintain a healthy body weight and eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, says Sievers. Adults also need at least eight hours of sleep every night, says Cindy Seyer, director of wellness services at Southeast Missouri Hospital. And it's essential to keep up with wellness visits and know your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels and family history of heart disease. If you're pressed for time or don't have a health plan, both Saint Francis and Southeast offer free or low-cost screenings with no appointment or referral needed.

At work, Sievers says many employees take on too much to please their boss, be more efficient and have job security, which leads to more stress.

"Set up real expectations and be up-front in the work environment," she advises. Seyer says balance is crucial to stress management -- when handling work and family responsibilities, try not to go overboard.

When employers create a workplace culture of supportive, preventive health, everyone benefits.

"The simplest thing is to get all the junky food out of the office. Vending machines and break rooms really add to the problem," says Sievers. Instead, Seyer advises employers to seek healthier options for machines and the company cafeteria. Employers can enable healthy habits with a walking club or weight loss support group and by encouraging workers to use health benefits.

"It's much cheaper to diagnose problems early on that to clean up the messes later," says Sievers.