The American Heart Association focused on reducing the death rate from heart attack and stroke by 25 percent in the years between 2000 and 2010. The result was a reduction of about 30 percent which was attributed to better control
The American Heart Association focused on reducing the death rate from heart attack and stroke by 25 percent in the years between 2000 and 2010. The result was a reduction of about 30 percent which was attributed to better control of risk management and better medical care. How this was achieved was by carefully studying those people who had good cardiovascular health and then to devise a simple seven-point checklist for people to follow.
All seven points are modifiable and actionable, claims Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, the chair of the American Heart Association. Lloyd-Jones also claims that even if an individual makes significant changes in only one of the important areas, it can have a major impact on their risk.
Further, he states that if people can improve their levels in all seven factors to the ideal rating, it can create a longer, healthier, quality life. People with ideal levels of the seven key elements spend less on medical care, have less cancer, less depression, less chronic illnesses such as arthritis, as well as lowering their risk for cardiovascular incidents.
Of course, none of these key elements for a good healthy life are going to come as much of a shock to most of you as they are widely publicized as simple good lifestyle options.
However, perhaps the ability of taking matters into your own hands and controlling risk factors is appealing and obviously well worth the effort.
The seven factors are: keeping your blood pressure under control and close to normal — which is considered to be 120/80.
Keeping your cholesterol levels normal and the ratio of HDL to LDL optimal.
Stop smoking … no if, and or butts. Just stop!
Keep your body weight down and lean. The ideal percent body fat for women is between 20 to 25 percent and for men between 15 to 19 percent. BMI is also a rough gauge of where your weight should be but not as accurate as getting your body fat measured.
Exercise! The World Health Organization states that adults should complete at least 30 minutes per day of cardiovascular exercise every day and at least two to three sessions per week of resistance training that lasts at least 30 minutes.
Of course, following a good, healthy, low-calorie, low-fat, low-sugar and low-alcohol diet with lots of clean (organic) vegetables, some fruit and lean sources of protein is also important.
To live this way, making healthy choices is empowering and you soon feel the difference in terms of energy, mental clarity and quality of life. Moreover, it doesn’t take too long before you start to look better too.
A helpful hint on how to clean up your diet might be to read labels. In America, on average, adults consume nearly half a cup of added sugar every day! This is in addition to what naturally occurs in food. That’s about four times the American Heart Association’s recommendation. Drinks like sport drinks, soda and sweetened teas add a copious amount of sugar. Any product that has a lot of ingredients ending in “-ose” has a lot of sugar in it. Other names for sugar are cane sugar, brown sugar, dextrin, fructose, maltose, sucrose, molasses, corn syrup and honey.
Food manufacturers must label foods in the order of most abundant ingredient first, so many times they list the various sugars separately so it seems that the sugar content is lower. When all the sources of sugar are added together often it is clear that the product is mostly sugar.
By adding lots of vegetables to your diet you can fill up, get many beneficial nutrients, and fiber as well as reduce inflammation in your body. Veggies rule as far as cleaning up your diet and your body. Reducing fats in your diet is a sure way to reduce calories, because fats are very calorically laden.
Another way to reduce useless calories to limit refined carbohydrates and starches such as white rice, white bread and white pasta and substitute brown, whole grain products.
All these tactics are very doable and very beneficial. Even making small changes can make a big difference in your health, and as you get healthier your will be motivated to make bigger changes.
I wish you well! Happy Valentine’s Day — take care of your heart.
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Jane Riley is a certified personal trainer, certified nutritional adviser, and certified behavior change specialist. She can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, (808) 212-8119 and www.janerileyfitness.com.
