February is American Heart Month CategoriesTo Your Health & Sanity

February is American Heart Month

Did you know that heart disease and stroke are the number 1 causes of death in people with type 2 diabetes?

February is designated as American Heart Month.  Are you at risk for getting heart disease?  According to www.heart.org (part of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association), there are many risk factors to consider.  There are non-modifiable risks and modifiable risks.  Non-modifiable risks are factors that cannot be changed, i.e., age, gender, and family history.  Modifiable risks include high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and overweight, smoking, diabetes, and poor diet. How many of these risk factors do you have?  Improvements in any of these areas can make a huge difference in your health and wellness.

So, how can you reduce the risks?  Listed below are www.Heart.org’s Life’s Simple 7 keys that may help prevent heart disease:

  1. Eat right – Eating heart-healthy meals can improve your chances of feeling and staying healthy.
  2. Lose weight – Over 2/3 of the American population is overweight, with 1/3 of them in the obese category. Making simple dietary changes like adding more vegetables in our diet, eating less processed foods, cutting down on our portion sizes, and making better choices overall could aid in releasing the extra weight.
  3. Get Moving – It is recommended that individuals get a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
  4. Stop Smoking – In America more than 19 million women and 24 million men are smokers. Find what works for you to help you quit.
  5. Reduce Blood Sugar – Maintain a low carb diet to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Follow the guidelines as provided by your health care practitioner, health coach or licensed dietician.
  6. Manage Blood Pressure – Approximately 90 percent of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime. One in three adults have high blood pressure and, unfortunately, some don’t know they have it.  Reducing stress and losing weight could help with blood pressure. Check with your health care practitioner on what would work for you.
  7. Control Cholesterol – According to heart.org, 98.9 million Americans age 20 and older have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 or higher. That is a large amount of people.  There are ways to control your cholesterol levels and keep them at a normal range.  Work with your health care practitioner, health coach or dietician on what you can do about that.

Are you taking the responsibility to help yourself so you are not a statistic?  There are many tools and tips to help you make better decisions about how to take control of your health. Check out the many websites to help you improve your health and wellness.  You can start with www.heart.org to learn more.  Only you can make the decision to change your lifestyle so you are not at risk for heart disease.

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Marie Giammarco is a mid generation Boomer who came of age in suburban New York, 50 miles north of the city. A child whose mom and grandparents were Italian immigrants, her close knit family defined her growing up years. The product of an environment that revolved around food, health, and physical activity, she saw many elderly people age before their time because they lacked these things. She has a passion to help Boomers and Seniors to be active and live a longer, more healthy life.