Heart disease is the number one killer of women and number three killer of men in the United States.
Up to 80% of those deaths are preventable by living a healthy lifestyle.
You can reduce your heart disease risk by following the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 Checklist:
Manage your blood pressure.
How? Through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management.
Control your cholesterol levels.
How? First get tested to know your HDL and LDL numbers, then talk with your doctor and dietitian if you need to get either of them in check.
Note: a balanced diet with regular exercise is usually just as effective if not MORE effective than medication to keep your cholesterol in a healthy ratio.
Control your blood sugar.
How? First get tested to know your glucose and A1C numbers and learn about your family history if you don’t already know it.
Note: again, a balanced diet and exercise can keep your blood sugar within normal ranges and encourage insulin to work more effectively, even if you already have diabetes.
Get or Stay Active.
How? Just keep moving! Take small breaks throughout the day to walk or stretch, find a workout partner, get a gym membership, use yoga, dance, kickboxing, etc. videos at home, the list goes on! Find something that works best for you.
Note: regular activity will help you stay on top of points 1-3 above. I can’t say enough about how important this is for overall wellness.
Eat a balanced diet.
How? The American Heart Association has great resources here. You can also work with a registered dietitian to fine tune what works best for you to meet your goals.
Note: again, this will help you with points 1-3 above as well.
Manage your weight.
How? Eating a balanced diet, sticking to an exercise regimen, and managing your stress levels. Basically, when you have points 2 through 5 in place, weight management naturally happens.
Stop (or don’t start) smoking.
How? If you currently smoke, there are many ways to quit. Talk to your doctor about what may be the best option for you. AHA also has great resources about smoking cessation here.
You can also help others reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Wear red on Friday, February 3rd (National Wear Red Day) in solidarity with me and the American Heart Association to continue to educate both women and men about their heart disease risk and how to achieve or maintain heart health.
Special invitation: If you want to get started on managing your stress levels and increasing your physical activity level on February 3rd, come join me for a Heart Centered Yoga Class at Balance Yoga & Healing Arts Center in Huntington Station at 7:30PM for just a $5 donation per person! All proceeds will go to the American Heart Association. Invite a friend or two to come with you!
Stay in touch with me on social media to continue to get heart health related tips throughout the month of February, and let me know what you want to learn more about, whether it be nutrition, exercise, or stress management related!
In good heart health,
Laura
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