WellPower: Love Your Heart
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Clinical Nutrition Team at Saint Agnes Hospital
Heart disease is the #1 killer of Americans, especially women. The good news is that it is preventable with healthy eating habits and daily exercise. Follow these smart eating and lifestyle tips for a happy, healthier heart.
Smart Eating Tips for a Healthy Heart
- Consume fatty fish with omega-3s at least twice a week (salmon, tuna, sardines).
- Eat less than 300 mg cholesterol per day.
- Opt for lean meats and poultry without skin.
- Don’t prepare meats with added fats, such as butter or frying oil.
- Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
- Consume as little trans fat as possible. Check the ingredients list for “partially hydrogenated oils” which is another term for trans fats. If that’s listed in the ingredients, skip it.
- Eat less than 2300 mg of sodium per day.
Smart Lifestyle Tips for a Healthy Heart
- Exercise. Try to incorporate at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your schedule every day.
- Watch your cholesterol. Get your cholesterol levels checked regularly and choose foods low in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat.
- Eat healthy. Aim to get a variety of different foods from all food groups.
- Control your blood pressure. This is one of the most important risk factors for heart disease.
- Maintain a healthy weight. 76.9 million American men and 68.1 million American women are obese (BMI >30).
- Control your blood sugar. Individuals with diabetes are 2-4 times more likely to develop heart disease.
- Quit smoking. It’s a bad habit that is unhealthy for your heart.
Try incorporating these tips and you’ll find heart-healthy living is both doable and enjoyable. Taking care of your heart is one of the most important things you can do for your health and well-being!
Happy and healthy Valentine’s Day to you and everyone you love,
The well4life® Team
well4lifeprogram.com
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Losing weight, eating right and becoming more active are the best ways to protect your heart and prevent heart disease. If these are some of your goals, the well4life® program can help. You’ll benefit from personal coaching, group support, exercise classes, educational sessions, meal planning, screenings, discounts on fitness centers and Medifast, and much more!
Visit www.well4lifeprogram.com or register for our free monthly information session by calling 1-866-690-9355.