The Healthy Heart Truth

Salem Creekside Newsletter – March 2015

Most women think heart disease is a man’s problem. In truth, it is the number one killer of women in the United States.

• One in 4 women in the United States dies of heart disease, while 1 in 30 dies of breast cancer.
• 23% of women will die within 1 year after having a heart attack.
• Within 6 years of having a heart attack, about 46% of women become disabled with heart failure.
• Two-thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.

The good news: You have tremendous power to prevent heart disease—and you can start today!

• Learn about your own personal risk factors.
• Start making healthy changes in your diet, physical activity, and other daily habits.
• If you already have heart disease, you can take steps to lessen its severity.
• Talk with your physician to get more answers.
• Take action today to protect your heart…tomorrow may be too late.

Here are some tips to help you succeed:

• Eat for health. Choose a wide variety of low-calorie, nutritious foods in moderate amounts. Include plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, as well as fish, lean meat, poultry, or dry beans. Choose foods that are low in fat and added sugars, and make sure your portion sizes are sensible.
• Watch calories. To lose weight, most overweight people will need to cut 500 to 1,000 calories per day from their current diet.
• Keep milk on the menu. Don’t cut out milk products to reduce your daily calories and fat. Milk and milk products are rich in calcium, a nutrient that helps prevent the bone-thinning disease, osteoporosis.
• Keep moving. Physical activity is key to successful, long-term weight loss. It can help you burn calories, trim extra fat from your waist, and control your appetite. A recent study showed that moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, helps people lose weight as effectively as more vigorous exercise.
• Steer clear of fast food. A single meal from a fast food restaurant may pack as many calories as you need for a whole day.
• Do not use fad diets, including the high-protein or low-carbohydrate diets. They provide poor nutrition and may cause many side effects.

Get support. Tell your family and friends about your weight-loss plans, and let them help you. You can greatly improve your health by losing just 5-10% of your starting weight.