(Feature Impact) Most people don’t set out to ignore their health. It usually slips down the list somewhere between the morning alarm and the last email of the day. Breakfast gets rushed or skipped. Exercise is postponed until tomorrow. Sleep is cut short to catch up on everything else. By the end of the week, healthy intentions are still there, but the follow-through feels harder than expected.

For many, the challenge is not motivation but finding habits that fit into real life. Small, repeatable choices around sleep, exercise, nutrition, mental well-being and social connection can support how the body and mind function over time.

Sleep Well

Sleep is essential for physical recovery, mental focus and emotional balance, but it’s often the first habit to slip when schedules get busy.

Establishing a regular bedtime routine helps signal when it’s time to rest. Limiting screen exposure in the evening, keeping sleep and wake times consistent and creating a dark, quiet sleep environment can support more restorative sleep. Over time, better sleep contributes to improved mood, focus and overall heart health.

Exercise in Manageable Ways

Exercise often falls into the same trap as sleep. When schedules get full, it becomes something to get back to rather than something that fits into the day as it unfolds. A missed workout can quickly turn into a missed week, even for people who value staying active.

Regular movement supports heart health, muscle strength and overall energy, but it doesn’t need to be all-or-nothing. Short periods of activity spread throughout the day can still make a difference, especially when long stretches of sitting are the default.

Walking between meetings, stretching in the morning or adding light strength exercises at home are simple ways to stay active without blocking out extra time.

Eat Nutritiously

Food decisions often happen on autopilot as meals are squeezed into busy schedules and long days, making nutrition one of the most influential daily habits.

Meals do more than provide fuel. When built around nutrient-rich foods, they support muscle health, brain health and heart health. An overall healthy eating pattern includes a variety of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, helping the body keep up with everyday demands.

Protein plays an important role in maintaining muscle and supporting daily movement, especially as people age. High-quality protein from foods, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, can help support all the muscles in the body. Choosing protein sources that are easy to prepare and repeat supports consistency when schedules are full.

As part of a balanced approach to healthy habits, nutrition guidance from the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good initiative, nationally sponsored by the Egg Nutrition Center, highlights how everyday food choices can support the body and brain over time. Eggs are an example of a high-quality protein and they fit easily into meals throughout the day.

Eggs also deliver choline, a nutrient many Americans don’t get enough of. Choline is a critical nutrient, among others, for supporting brain development, memory and mood. Along with protein, choline helps support brain health, making it an important consideration across life stages.

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According to the American Heart Association, healthy people can include one egg daily, up to seven eggs per week, as part of a heart-healthy diet. For healthy older adults with normal cholesterol, two eggs per day can be included as part of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.

Mind Your Mental Well-Being

The way people eat, sleep and move does not just affect the body. It also shapes how the brain responds to stress and daily demands. When routines feel rushed or inconsistent, mental well-being is often one of the first areas to feel the strain.

Ongoing stress can interfere with focus, sleep and eating habits, making it harder to maintain healthy routines. Simple practices like deep breathing, mindfulness or stepping away from screens for a few minutes can help reduce tension and restore attention.

Making time for rest and reflection, and setting realistic expectations, can also support emotional balance. What supports the brain often supports the heart as well, reinforcing the value of caring for mental and physical health together.

Socialize and Stay Connected

Mental well-being is shaped by both daily routines and relationships. When life feels busy or stressful, social connection is often the first thing to get pushed aside, even though it plays an important role in emotional health.

Staying connected doesn’t require packed calendars or constant interaction. Shared meals, short conversations or a quick check-in with a friend or family member can help maintain a sense of connection.

Build Habits That Fit Real Life

Healthy routines are more likely to last when they fit into the rhythm of everyday life rather than compete with it. Big changes can feel motivating at first, but it is often the small, repeatable choices that quietly shape how people feel over time.

Choosing foods that are easy to prepare, finding enjoyable ways to exercise and protecting time for sleep can make healthy habits feel more realistic. When routines are built around what is already happening during a typical day, they are easier to return to even when schedules get busy.

For more information and educational resources on nutrition and healthy living, visit Heart.org.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

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SOURCE:

American Heart Association

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

Last Updated on March 3, 2026 by Daily News Staff

(Family Features) Millions of Americans are living with low vision, a visual impairment that can turn everyday moments – recognizing a friend’s face across the street, reading a recipe or checking a text message – into unexpected challenges.

Low vision isn’t a natural part of getting older, though the conditions that cause it do become more common with age.

Whether low vision is affecting you or a loved one, Low Vision Awareness Month is a perfect time to have your eyes examined for signs of eye diseases and to take steps to make daily life easier if you are experiencing low vision.

Consider this information from the National Eye Institute to make the most of your vision and improve your quality of life.

Understanding low vision
You may have low vision if you can’t see well enough to read, drive, recognize faces, distinguish colors or see screens clearly.

Many different eye conditions can cause low vision, but the most common causes are age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, a condition that can cause vision loss in people with diabetes.

The most common types of low vision are:

• Central vision loss (not being able to see things in the center of your vision)
• Peripheral vision loss (not being able to see things out of the corners of your eyes)
• Night blindness (not being able to see in low light)
• Blurry or hazy vision

Diagnosing low vision
Your doctor can check for low vision as part of a simple, painless comprehensive dilated eye exam. He or she will ask you to read letters that are up close and far away and will check whether you can see things in the center and at the edges of your vision.

Then eye drops are used to widen your pupils and check for other eye problems – including conditions that could cause low vision.

Low vision is usually permanent, but glasses, medicine or surgery may help with daily activities or slow progression.

Living with low vision
If you have low vision, you aren’t alone. There are steps you can take to make life easier.

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For minor vision loss, simple adjustments like using brighter lights, wearing anti-glare sunglasses and using magnifiers can help. Changing the settings on your phone and computer to increase contrast, make text larger or have the device read out loud may also help.

If your vision loss is getting in the way of everyday activities, ask your eye doctor about vision rehabilitation. These services can give you skills and resources to help manage your daily life and keep your independence. Examples include:

• Employment and job training
• Environmental modifications, like improving lighting and contrast
• Assistive devices and technologies, like magnifiers, filters and screen readers
• Adaptive strategies for daily living and independent living skills training
• Emotional support, like counseling or support groups
• Transportation and household services

Finding the right vision rehabilitation services and support may take time, but working closely with your eye doctor or care team is an important first step. Discuss your needs and goals for living with your visual impairment so they can help identify the best services for you.

For additional resources and information on vision rehabilitation, visit nei.nih.gov/VisionRehab.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

SOURCE:

National Eye Institute

(Feature Impact) Heart disease is something many adults push to the back of their minds if they are not experiencing symptoms; a concern for “later” in life. However, that mindset may be changing. New research suggests younger generations are thinking about their cardiovascular health earlier and with greater urgency.

They’re right to be thinking about it, too. Data from the American Heart Association shows heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of Americans. In fact, someone dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds in the United States.

Risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease are on the rise, too. Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (47%), and obesity (42%), and more than half (57%) have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

Despite growing concern about heart health, many adults remain unclear about their personal risk. In fact, a majority of respondents (62%) in a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Doctor’s Best said they don’t know their current risk for heart disease. To provide context on these findings and highlight emerging heart health trends, Dr. Tania Elliott, a dual board-certified physician in internal medicine, offers some insights.

Feeling Fatigue

In the study, only 50% of respondents reported feeling energetic on a daily basis. Among those who reported feeling fatigued, 46% listed stress as their top perceived contributor, followed by insufficient sleep (38%), both of which are closely tied to cardiovascular health.

Troubling Symptoms

Among Gen Z respondents, 25% reported having shortness of breath during activity or while lying down, compared to just 16% of Baby Boomers, which is commonly associated with compromised heart health.

Statins and Youth

Statins, which help address cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol, are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in America, with more than 92 million Americans currently taking them, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Although most survey respondents (76%) aren’t currently taking a statin, 17% of adults ages 25-34 reported using statin therapy, which is an unexpectedly high proportion given their age and the group’s low anticipated risk of cardiovascular disease.

Side Effects of Statins

Among those taking statins, which are considered a first-line treatment for treating high cholesterol and reducing heart disease risk, 54% reported experiencing side effects, particularly muscle pain (23%) and fatigue (31%). However, taking statins can also affect levels of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which supports cellular energy and cardiovascular function.

All About CoQ10

Cells use CoQ10 to produce energy and detoxify. Studies have shown people with heart failure who took CoQ10 had around a 50% reduction in mortality. Despite this, awareness is low. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of respondents had never heard of CoQ10 and that number jumps to 76% of adults ages 25-34. Additionally, only a small percentage of respondents (8%) who were on a statin reported having their CoQ10 level tested.

“We have a real opportunity to help younger adults take a more proactive approach to heart health,” Elliott said. “CoQ10 plays a critical role in cellular energy production and heart muscle function, and it can decline with age and statin use.”

If you’re among the 71% of survey respondents who expressed a willingness to learn more about improving your heart health, talk with your health care provider and visit DoctorsBest.com to learn more.

Strategies to Support Heart Health

While some risk factors for heart disease, like age and family history, are out of your control, you can make lifestyle changes to help lower your risk:

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• Eat Whole Foods: A heart-healthy eating plan includes plenty of lean proteins as well as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and foods high in omega-3s, such as salmon, nuts and plant oils.
  
• Know Your CoQ10 Levels: If you’re low, look for a high-quality, bioavailable formula, like Doctor’s Best High Absorption CoQ10 with BioPerine, which supports energy production and muscle function.
• Get Moving: The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week to help control weight and lower the risk for conditions that negatively impact the heart.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (woman with hand over chest)

SOURCE:

Doctor’s Best

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.