How To Keep A Healthy Heart

HOW TO KEEP A HEALTHY HEART

How does the heart work?

6 Healthy Heart Foods….

Oats

Spinach

Nuts

Legumes

Olive Oil

Bananas

Diet Tips Summary 1. Eat less salt 2. Increase fruits and vegetables 3. Reduce dairy fat products 4.Decrease total fat 5. Decrease saturated fat

4 exercise tips…. Additional notes to remember: •Do Exercise regularly- 5/6 times a week •Don’t be full on a meal when you take exercise •Perform stretches as well as cardio exercise

Walk for 30 mins a day

Not the lift!! Take the stairs……

Join a gym

•Washing and waxing a car for 45-60 minutes •Washing windows or floors for 45-60 minutes •Pushing a stroller 1.5 miles in 30 minutes

Do more household chores

3 lifestyle ideas

1.Avoid tobacco use • 1.7 TIMES MORE CARDIAC DEATHS • 9 OUT of 10 REQUIRING BYPASS OPERATION ARE SMOKERs /EX-SMOKERs NICOTINE INCREASES THE AMOUNT OF CHOLESTEROL IN THE BLOOD, WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ARTERIES TO CLOG UP LEADING TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE WHICH CAUSES HEART ATTACKS AND STROKE.

2.Reduce your alcohol consumption 3.Eat fewer saturated fats

Calculate and monitor your blood pressure and your BMI…

Know your normal Blood pressure CATEGORY

SYSTOLIC

NORMAL

< 120

and

< 80

120 – 139

or

80 – 89

140 - 159

or

90 – 99

STAGE-II

> 160 179

or

100 - 109

STAGE-III

> 180

or

> 110

PREHYPERTENSION HYPERTENSION STAGE-I

DIASTOLIC

How to Calculate your BMI..? 1. Measure your height in meters- eg 1.63m 2. Measure your weight in kgs – eg 57 kgs 3. Divide your weight by your height in meters squared. Eg i) 1.63 x 1.63 (height in meters squared) = 2.65 i) 57 / 2.65 = 21.5 so….21.5 is your BMI

57/2.65=21.5

What does your BMI mean? 1 BMI

Status

Health risks

<18.5

Underweight Seriously low weight for long periods of time can result in: infertility in women osteoporosis anemia weak immunity

Suggested actions •Exercise Start with light exercise to build up fitness and strength. Complete a full range of exercise including strength and flexibility to ensure growth of healthy muscles. Build up your routine as your weight ratio improves Diet To increase your weight, increase your calorie intake. However, avoid just eating high sugar/fat foods. Increase the number of meals you eat in a day. Increase the percentage of carbohydrates and proteins as well as fats. Favour natural fats and oils Health checks Unless you are severely underweight you do not need a health. Try to increase your BMI to above 19 and monitor your own improvement. If you struggle to gain weight or feel any other symptoms of ill health then visit your doctor for advice.

What does your BMI mean? 2 BMI

Status

Health risks

Suggested actions

18.5 – 24.9

Normal weight

There are no health risks associated with a normal weight. However you should still monitor your health and your diet.

Exercise: Maintain regular exercise which is important for cardiovascular health and to avoid weight gain Diet To maintain your normal weight make sure you keep a balanced diet. Eat plenty of proteins and fibre as well as carbohydrate and fats. Check that you are getting vitamins and minerals and drink lots of water. Eat at regular intervals throughout the day. Check your calorie intake against your exercise regime. Health Checks If your weight is normal you do nto need to visit a doctor about this issue.

What does your BMI mean? 3 BMI

Status

Health risks

Suggested actions

25 – 29.9

Over weight

Being overweight can increase your susceptibility to a number of health problems: Cardiovascular diseases Cancer Osteoarthritis Fatty Liver Disease Stroke

Exercise Exercise is an important part of weight loss. Start with gentle exercise such as walking for 30 mins a day. Increase ‘everyday activity’ for example, take the stairs at the office Diet It is important to decrease your weight without damaging your health. Cut back slowly on key food groups such as saturated fats and refined sugars. Maintain your three meals a day but try to eat smaller portions. Increase the amount of fruit, fibre and water in your diet. Eat your biggest meal at lunch time and don’t eat heavily before bed. Cut out unnecessary sugar in hot drinks and stop eating when you start to feel full. Health Checks You do not need to visit a doctor about your weight unless you are elderly or suffer from some other complaint such as diabetes. However, it is worth getting a general check up if you are concerned about your weight. Try to reduce your BMI and if you struggle with weight loss then visit your doctor for support.

What does your BMI mean? 4 BMI

Status

Health risks

Suggested actions

>30

Obesit y

In addition to those listed above, being obese increases the risks of Type 2 diabetes Sleep Apnea Metabolic Syndrome Gallbladder Disease

Exercise Start with very light activity; increase the number of chores you do standing up for example. Progress to light walks. Build up your exercise as your weight drops and fitness increases. Diet As above. In addition try cutting out some foods completely. For example ghee and butter. However it is still important to lose weight gradually. Avoid meals that are heavy in carbohydrate- for example do not include rice, roti, chickpeas and potato in the same meal. Replace them with an extra vegetable dish instead. Health Checks You may want to visit your doctor to assess your current health status and level of risk. He/she will be able to advise and support you through a weight loss programme and make sure that your health is monitored throughout this process

Know Your BMI WEIGHT IN Kgs

HEIGHT in cms

50

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

152

21

23

26

28

30

32

35

36

39

41

43

155

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

35

37

39

42

157

20

22

24

26

28

30

33

35

37

39

41

160

20

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

35

37

39

162

19

21

23

25

27

29

31

33

34

36

38

165

18

20

22

24

26

28

29

31

33

35

37

167

18

20

22

24

25

27

29

31

32

34

36

170

17

19

21

23

24

26

28

29

31

33

35

172

17

19

20

22

24

25

27

29

31

33

34

175

16

18

20

22

23

25

26

28

29

31

33

177

16

18

19

21

22

24

26

28

29

31

32

180

15

17

18

20

21

23

25

27

28

30

31

Happy Heart Day 2009!! Make a choice to look after your heart For more information contact: [email protected] For online BMI calculation visit: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/BMI/bmim.htm