Keep your heart healthy

February 1, 5:04 PMHealth ExaminerAngela Spears

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Create healthy meals for your family

Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack. The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a study to maintain good cardiovascular health. AHA highlights these five important strategies to reduce the burden of this disease: 

• Don’t smoke or use tobacco products:  When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe. Smokeless tobacco and low-tar and low-nicotine cigarettes also are risky, as is exposure to secondhand smoke. The good news, though, is that when you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease drops dramatically within just one year.

• Get Active: Regularly participating in moderately vigorous physical activity can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease by nearly a quarter.

• Eat a heart-health diet: Consistently eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products can help protect your heart.  Almonds are a very close second to pistachios for a top health snack. Besides being delicious, they're high in protein, contain almost no carbs, and help to prevent heart disease.

• Maintain a healthy weight: As you put on weight in adulthood, you gain mostly fatty tissue. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes

• Get regular health screenings: High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your cardiovascular system, including your heart. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

Source:  American Heart Association

For more information on how you can prevent heart disease by following a heart-healthy lifestyle as well as sites with information about cardiovascular health visit the American Heart Association’s Website.

Make your New Year’s resolution to take care of your health. And to all I wish you a healthy Happy New Year.