February is Heart Health Month

Did you know that every 60 seconds a wife, mother, sister, grandmother, daughter, or friend dies from a stroke, heart attack, or other form of heart disease? Heart disease is the number one killer of women. So, what can you do about it?

As February is Heart Health Month, let's review what the current guidelines are for women and men to reduce their risk of heart disease.

• Don't smoke
• Get regular physical activity. It's recommended to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week.
• Consume a healthy diet. A mostly plant-based diet, one that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole/unprocessed grains, beans (all high-fiber foods), as well as Omega-3s and calcium, and reduces or eliminates sugar, processed grains, trans fats, saturated fat, and sodium, is the best for a healthy heart.
• Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. No, I'm not recommending you diet your way down to your pre-puberty weight. Rather than live by the number on the scale, measure your waist and aim for less than 30 inches (women) and less than 38 inches (men).
• Maintain a healthy Blood Pressure. A reading of less than 120/80 is considered normal. Anything higher and it's time to take action.
• Watch you lipid panel. Total cholesterol <200; LDL (bad) <100; HDL (good) >50; Triglycerides <150
• Achieve good blood sugar control. It's not only important to have a fasting blood sugar measured, but a better test is the Hemoglobin A1C, which measures long-term blood sugar control. A reading of 4-6% is ideal.

Healthy Eating Guidelines

• Fruit & vegetables: at least 4.5 cups/day
• Fish (Omega-3 rich wild Alaskan salmon, black cod/sablefish, barramundi, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, tuna): at least 2 servings/week (1 serving = 6 oz.)
• Fiber: at least 30 grams/day
• Whole grains: at least 3 servings/day (1 serving = 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, oats; 1 slice bread; 1 small corn tortilla; 1 oz. cold cereal)
• Sugar: less than 5 servings/week
• Nuts: at least 4 servings/week (1 serving = 1/4 cup nuts, preferably raw, unsalted)
• Saturated fat: less than 7% of total calories
• Trans fat: 0
• Cholesterol: less than 150 mg/day
• Sodium: less than 1500 mg/day (note: if you are an endurance athlete or workout for more than 90 minutes a day, you should consume more sodium to replace that which is lost in sweat)
• Alcohol: less than 1 drink/day (1 drink = 5 oz. wine, 12 oz. beer, 1 oz. hard alcohol)

More information available, including healthy recipes, at www.ErinMacdonaldRD.com and www.URockGirl.com