A healthy heart may be as easy as living a calm, predictable life.

While that is easier said than done during our nonstop, hectic days, it is important because prolonged stress wreaks havoc on our bodies.

Editor's Note: Dr. Crandall's Healthy Habits to Stop and Reverse Heart Disease

"The body likes predictability. It likes things to run smoothly," explains Dr. Chauncey Crandall, world-renowned cardiologist and director of preventive medicine at the Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Florida.

Prolonged stress impacts the body in many different ways. "Our blood pressure goes up, our stress hormones go up," Crandall tells Newsmax's "Newsline."

Special: Top Cardiologist Reveals Secret for a Healthy Heart

According to the American Heart Association, when we are faced with a stressful situation, our bodies go into what is known as the "fight-or-flight" response and it releases stress hormones, including cortisol, into the blood. The hormones cause the heart to beat faster and constrict blood vessels, which results in an increase in blood pressure.

Stress also impacts our kidneys, increases fats in the blood and can affect blood sugar levels, according to Crandall. A six-year Ohio State University College of Medicine study found that participants who had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in their blood that did not decrease over the course of the day had larger increases in blood glucose levels. High blood sugar, especially in people with diabetes, can significantly increase the risk of heart disease.

Editor's Note: 4 Signs Your Heart Is Quietly Failing

"So stress is not good for the long term. Short bursts are OK. But chronic stress day in and day out can really impact the body and cause bad health," says Crandall, editor of the popular newsletter Dr. Crandall's Heart Health Report.

One of the best ways to live a calm, predictable life and boost health is to be on a regular sleep schedule, says Crandall.

Special: 5 Signs You'll Get Cancer and How to Stop It!

"Go to bed at a decent time. Eight hours of sleep is recommended, so most people need to go to bed around 10:00 at night, and get up at an appropriate time in the morning, 7:00 or 8:00 or earlier," urges Crandall.

"A predictable life is going to bed at the same time every day. Waking up at the same time every day. Set your biorhythm in order, and the whole body starts working correctly," says Crandall.