You At Your Best

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 | FEBRUARY - THE HEART ISSUE NWADG.COM/YOUATYOURBEST | YOU AT YOUR BEST | 11 1 MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT Losing weight is key to lowering heart disease and stroke risk. According to the American Heart Association, between 60 and 70 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Carrying around extra weight takes a toll on the body, increasing a person's risk for heart disease and stroke. Overweight or obese men and women can work with their physicians to develop a plan for effective, long-term weight loss, a plan that will likely include a combination of diet and routine exercise. Losing weight requires reducing calories in and increasing calories out. By eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Replacing saturated fats and sugary, high-calorie foods with healthier options can make a big difference. What time of day you eat is also important. A good breakfast gives you energy and your body has all day to burn the calories. Snacking is also important for maintaining energy levels and avoiding binge eating. Choose healthy snacks, such as fruits, vegetables and unsalted nuts and seeds, to satisfy a craving and get through the day. The first step is to understand how many calories you need each day based on your physical activity level, your age, and your gender. This will help you identify lifestyle changes you need to make. A step you can take to help you identify these changes is to keep a food journal to improve awareness of what you are eating and whether it is out of habit instead of real hunger. In addition, it is a good idea to keep an activity journal to track your physical activity. Losing weight is a gradual process. Learn about your situational and emotional triggers that might be pushing you toward unhealthy choices. 5 STOP SMOKING Quitting smoking and avoiding tobacco is an important key health factor that defines how you keep your heart healthy, lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, and improve your quality of life. Smoking's link to increased risk for lung and other cancers is significant. But smoking also increases your risk for developing both long- and short-term effects on your cardiovascular health. It can accelerate the build-up of fatty substances in the arteries and the development of peripheral artery disease. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Nicotine is a stimulant that increases your blood pressure and heart rate. Inhaling a cigarette's carbon monoxide limits the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Smoking also makes it more difficult to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, decreasing HDL (good) cholesterol and encouraging scarring in the arteries that can make it easier for LDL (bad) cholesterol to stick. 4 REDUCE BLOOD SUGAR Heart disease and stroke the number one causes of death and disability among people with type 2 diabetes. Blood glucose, or sugar, is an important fuel for your body. When it's at the recommended level that's normal, but when it's too high that can lead to diabetes. When your body doesn't produce enough insulin or it doesn't efficiently use the insulin it makes, your blood sugar may become too high. When this happens, your body's cells cannot use the sugar in your blood and the cells can be starved for energy. Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. 3 CONTROL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS High levels of low-density lipoprotein, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, can increase a person's risk for heart disease. The AHA notes that excessive amounts of cholesterol can be deposited into the arteries as plaque. When that happens, it leads to a condition known as atherosclerosis, or a narrowing of the inside of the artery walls. That narrowing leads to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Men and women should get their cholesterol levels checked at least once every four to six years beginning at age 20. Men and women who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol should recognize that cholesterol is only found in animal products, so a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and low in animal products can provide a simple way for men and women to lower their cholesterol. A more thorough and detailed plan to lower cholesterol levels should be discussed with a physician. 2 UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE BLOOD PRESSURE Understanding your blood pressure may be the most important thing you can do to protect your heart and overall health. The AHA notes that high blood pressure, a common condition affecting roughly one in three Americans, is often referred to as "the silent killer" because it does not necessarily produce symptoms. Blood pressure measures the force pushing outward on the walls of blood vessels as they carry blood oxygen to the body's organs, and the force created as the heart rests between beats. Over time, the arterial walls of people with high blood pressure may become stressed and develop weak spots or scarring that makes them vulnerable to the buildup of plaque. Plaque buildup can increase the risk of blood clots and stroke. Blood pressure can rise as a person ages, so managing blood pressure involves routinely checking it and making certain changes, such as eating healthier foods and exercising more often, if it is high. Your blood pressure is considered normal, or in the healthy range, if the systolic pressure is lower than 120 and the diastolic pressure is lower than 80, or 120/80. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is defined as blood pressure of 140/90 or higher. Blood pressure between 120/80 and 139/89 is considered pre-hypertensive. It is important to find ways to manage stress, which can play a role in high blood pressure and increase your risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attack. By following these heart-healthy tips, you can decrease your risk of heart related illness dramatically. ❤

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