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Welcome to Heart Health Month: February 2016

February is American Heart Month and here is a great article from the American Heart Association on how to protect yourself from Heart Disease. This and other articles may be found at www.heart.org.

More than one in three adults has some form of cardiovascular disease. The good news is 80 percent of heart disease and stroke can be prevented.

So how do you protect yourself?

Protect yourself from heart disease, the nation's No. 1 killer, with Life's Simple 7® — easy-to-embrace ways to significantly lower your risk of heart disease and improve your . How simple is it?

Just take a look:

Get Active. You don't have to join a gym or run in a 5K. Start small by incorporating physical activity into your daily routine more and more: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the farthest end of the parking lot or use your lunch break to take a quick walk. When you're ready, aim for at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity each week. “That's basically taking a 20-minute walk every evening,” said V. Seenu Reddy, M.D., a heart and lung surgeon at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.Up for a more intense ? You'll get heart-pumping benefits with at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise throughout the week. Along with gaining strength and stamina, exercising regularly can lower blood pressure, keep body weight under control and increase your HDL — otherwise known as “good” cholesterol. Exercise also better regulates blood sugar by improving how the body uses insulin. You'll help prevent bone loss, sleep better and feel good. Learn the American Heart Associations Guidelines for Physical Activity in Adults.

Control Cholesterol. We all have cholesterol, a waxy substance in the bloodstream and in the cells of our body. But despite its reputation, cholesterol it isn't all bad. In fact, it plays an important role in keeping us healthy. But a must be struck to prevent too much cholesterol in the blood. There are two types: the “good” kind (HDL) and the “bad” kind (LDL). High levels of bad cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. This is where good cholesterol comes into play: HDL cleans out that bad cholesterol from the arteries.You can produce more of those housekeeping HDLs by exercising regularly and limiting saturated fat, and cholesterol by avoiding too many animal products such as red meats and full-fat dairy, and including healthier fats such as certain vegetable oils. It's also important to limit trans fats, too. For some people, diet and lifestyle alone aren't enough. Your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication to keep your cholesterol levels in check. If you don't know your cholesterol levels, talk to your doctor about scheduling a cholesterol screening.

Eat Better. Eating the right foods can help you control your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Follow a dietary pattern that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other healthy choices. Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., a nutritionist at Penn State University who herself uses Life's Simple 7 says, “It's important to choose fruits and vegetables over empty-calorie foods.”
What's a heart-smart diet? Looking for foods stamped with the American Heart Association's Heart-Check mark is one sure way to know you're choosing a low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Read the full American Heart Association's Recommendations for Diet and Lifestyle.

Manage Blood Pressure. One in three Americans has high blood pressure — yet one out of every five doesn't even know they have it. That's because high blood pressure, “the silent killer,” has no symptoms. Keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range starts with eating a heart-healthy diet. Other important factors are exercising regularly; not smoking; maintaining a healthy weight; limiting salt and alcohol; and taking medication prescribed by your doctor.

Lose Weight. Extra weight can do serious damage to your heart. Too much fat, especially around the belly, increases your risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. So give your heart a break by dropping the extra pounds — and keeping them off. Every little bit helps. You can shed 24 pounds a by dropping just 2 pounds a month, and losing as little as 3-5% of your body weight can decrease your heart disease risk. The trick is to increase your aerobic physical activity each week while reducing the calories you take in, to a point where you can achieve energy balance and a healthy weight.

Reduce Blood Sugar. Diabetes can quadruple your risk of heart disease or stroke, so keeping blood sugar levels under control is crucial to preventing medical problems involving the heart and kidneys. If left untreated, diabetes can also cause blindness and nerve disease, among other health complications. You can minimize the impact of diabetes on your body — and even prevent or delay the onset of diabetes — by eating right, controlling your weight, exercising and taking medication prescribed your doctor. In some cases, lifestyle changes result in less need for medication.

Stop Smoking. It's time to kick the habit. Going smoke-free can help prevent not only heart disease and stroke, but also cancer and chronic lung disease. The payoff is almost immediate. Quit smoking and you'll have the same risk level for developing heart disease as non-smokers within only a few years. *

Author Info: Cheryl Knupp
Cheryl Knupp is the Senior VP of Health Services here at Beatitudes Campus. Learn more about Beatitudes

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