February is Heart Health Month
!
Each year, about 610,000 Americans die of heart disease, and over 700,000 Americans have a heart attack. Those are some scary statistics, but the good news is that with a few lifestyle changes you can have a big impact on your heart disease risk. Making heart-healthy choices, knowing your family history and the risk factors for heart disease can help you prevent becoming one of those statistics.
Here are a few ways that you can take control of your heart health:
*Find time to be active each day for at least 30 minutes.
*Make healthy eating a habit. Eat less saturated fat and trans fat. Reduce your sodium intake by choosing 'low-sodium' or 'no salt added' options, and eat more fiber (vegetables, fruits and whole grains).
*Quit smoking
*Know your numbers, both blood pressure and cholesterol. If your doctor has put you on medication to control one or both of those numbers, stick to the 'script, and continue to take your prescribed medications. Taking medications for blood pressure and cholesterol can sometimes be tough to do since you don't always 'feel bad' when those numbers are high. But taking your medications is an important factor in controlling these conditions that could put your heart at risk.
*Know your family history. If your family has a history of heart disease, it is especially important to take the extra precautions listed above.
Here are some tips for a heart-healthy grocery shopping list:
*Choose fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables and leafy greens for salads. If you choose canned fruit--look for fruit packed in 100% juice, not syrup.
*Look for fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
*Eat more whole grains, such as: oatmeal, brown or wild rice, barley and bulgur, and eat whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta.
*Eat more beans, nuts and eggs to reduce your meat intake.
*Choose lean meats: fish, chicken or turkey without skin, pork shoulder or tenderloin, beef sirloin or tenderloin and extra lean ground beef (93%).
*Cut back on saturated fat. Look for products with no trans fat. Eat salad dressings that are oil based instead of creamy, and use cooking oils that do not contain partially hydrogenated oil.
Here are some vitamin supplement tips to discuss with your physician:
*If you take a statin drug for cholesterol--consider taking
CoQ-10. Statin's prevent your body from naturally making CoQ-10 that enhances cellular energy production, boosts antioxidant activity, and supports cardiovascular health.
*Fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acids, are known to benefit cardiovascular health, support healthy brain function and help your body maintain a healthy inflammatory response.
*Bergamot BPF contains an array of cholesterol-balancing and cardio-protective flavonoids that can naturally reduce your cholesterol.
*Vitamin D supports cardiovascular health as well as helping to maintain blood sugar balance.
*Daily
Baby Aspirin (81mg) reduces the risk of subsequent heart attacks in people with a prior history of a heart attack, coronary heart disease or in people with risk factors for developing heart disease.
Stop by and discuss your supplement needs with one of our Pharmacists today. We offer 3 vitamin lines in our store. We carry Nature's Blend, our Leader store brand, and Ortho Molecular which is our premium vitamin line. Mention our newsletter the next time you are making a vitamin purchase and receive 15% off your entire vitamin purchase through Valentine's Day! .
