Take Control Of Your Heart Health With Four Simple Steps
(NAPS) — You have tremendous power to prevent heart disease — the No. 1 killer of women — and you can start right now.
One-third of women underestimate their own risk for heart disease and most fail to make the connection between risk factors and their chance of developing heart disease. In fact, if you have just one risk factor — such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking or being overweight — your risk of heart disease doubles.
The good news is that you can lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 82 percent by leading a healthier lifestyle. Four simple weekly activities can help you take action to control your heart health.
This month, get serious about your heart health by doing one of these suggested activities per week:
Week 1: Eat for heart health. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat. Prevent and control high blood pressure by cutting down on salt and other forms of sodium. In cooking and at the table, flavor foods with herbs, spices, wine, lemon, lime, vinegar or salt-free seasoning blends instead.
Week 2: Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most — preferably all — days of the week. Take a walk or dance to your favorite music. A little activity goes a long way in maintaining a healthy weight.
Week 3: Spread the word. Spread the heart health message to three women in your life. One in four American women dies of heart disease. Help those closest to you know their personal risk for heart disease by urging them to talk to their doctor about their blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and body mass index numbers.
Week 4: Set a heart health goal. Set one specific, achievable heart health goal for yourself to help keep up the good work throughout the year. It could be walking more, eating more foods high in fiber or quitting smoking.
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