Blog
Febrary 3, 2012
February is National Heart Health month. According to the Center for Disease Control, 2,200 people in the United States die each day of heart disease and stroke. There is no doubt that some of these deaths could be prevented if people took better care of their health.
On a lighter note, to kick of National Heart Health month, I am going to blog about the top five ways to take better care of your heart.
1.Stop smoking if you are a smoker
Smoking is bad for you for a lot of reasons, but when it comes to heart health, smoking causes a narrowing of your blood vessels and arteries which increases your blood pressure. Your blood pressure increases because your heart has to work harder to pump blood through the narrow passages. Additionally, the narrow arteries and veins caused by smoking can set you up for a heart attack. On top of that, some of the oxygen in smokers blood is replaced with carbon monoxide. This also increases blood pressure. What’s really amazing about our bodies though is that the damage that smoking causes can be reversed simply by quitting.
2. Exercise
I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true. Exercise is one of the best things in the entire world that you can do for yourself. When it comes to heart health, exercise lowers your risk of getting conditions that increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. These conditions include diabetes, high blood pressure, being overweight, and high cholesterol. Also, exercise helps to lower stress which is also a contributing factor to heart disease.
3. Eat well
While fat usually has a reputation as being harmful, it’s important to be able to recognize and consume healthy sources of fat. Here’s a rundown on fats that are good for you and fats that are not so good for you.
Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet also has the potential to protect against heart disease because they reduce inflammation, a known risk factor of heart disease.
4. Find your healthy weight
Being overweight can increase your chance of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. All of which increase your risk of heart disease.
How can you tell if your weight is healthy? Try an online Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator. You can find one here. BMI basically says if you are a certain height, you should weigh a certain amount. However, since we all have different body types this isn't necessarily going to be an accurate weight assessment for everyone. For example, men with a lot of muscle mass or pregnant women might not fall into the ideal BMI ranges, but they could be a healthy weights. It's not my favorite assessment tool, but it's out there and it's easy to use. BMI can also give you an idea of a healthier weight for your height if you're not already at one.
Another way to determine if you are a healthy body weight is to measure your waist. Your waist is defined as being the narrowest section of your torso.
- Men are considered to be a healthy weight if their waist measurement is 40 inches or less
- Women are considered to be a healthy weight if their waist measurement is 35 inches or less
5. Know your numbers!
You should have a health screening, or even better a physical every year. Everyone should know what their blood pressure, cholesterol levels usually run. It's also important to have your blood sugar checked every year.
Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/heartmonth/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease-prevention/WO00041
