Did you know that Heart Disease is the #1 killer in men and women! It has a higher death rate than cancer and it is, in many cases, preventable....
Here are 5 easy ways to help take care of your heart:
1. Know your numbers! The American Heart Association defines optional numbers as your LDL (bad cholesterol) lower than 100 mg/dl, and a BMI of less than 25. Another measurement that I find is a better indicator than BMI is the Waist to hip ratio (WHR). It is when you measure your waist at the height of the belly button and dividing that by the measurement of your hips measured at the widest part of your buttocks or hip. A WHR of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men is considered healthy.
2. Move! Just 30 minutes, three times a week, cuts your risk for heart disease! And in this case, more is better!
3. Eat more veggies! Research has shown that men and women who get more of their calories from vegetable sources have a 24% lower chance of developing heart disease than those who eat fewer veggies.
4. Make more friends! According to one study, women who said they felt moderately or frequently lonely were 76% more likely to develop heart disease than those who reported rare spells of loneliness. (Mayo Clinic Women's Heart Clinic info.)
5. Kick Back! Schedule down time. Less stress lowers blood pressure and makes for a less chance of heart attack! Don't worry so much about the 50 things that "need" to be done!
Check http://www.americanheart.org/ , http://www.goredforwomen.org/ and www.wholeliving.com/heart-health for more information on protecting your heart and preventing the nations #1 killer!
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