Reducing your risk of stroke and heart attack
• Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight increases your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and diabetes — risk factors for a stroke and heart attack. So eat a nutritious diet and aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity on most days.
• Limit fats and cholesterol
Limit meat to a total of 6 ounces daily. Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats. Instead of solid fats (butter, margarine, shortening), use monounsaturated oils (canola, olive and peanut) and polyunsaturated oils (corn, safflower, sesame, sunflower and soy).
• Eat fish that have omega-3s
Eat fish that have omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and trout. (See “Eat foods high in omega-3s,” page 34.)
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Produce contains nutrients such as potassium, folate and antioxidants that may protect against stroke and heart attack. Eat at least three servings of fruits and at least four servings of vegetables daily.
• Use alcohol moderately, if at all
Too much alcohol can raise blood pressure. Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink a day for women and anyone age is 65 or more than two drinks a day for men under 65.
• Reduce sodium (salt)
Limiting sodium in your diet and making other lifestyle changes can help prevent high blood pressure.
Exercising for a healthy heart
If you exercise regularly, you may lower your risk of a heart attack and stroke. If you’re middle-aged or older and haven’t been exercising regularly or have a chronic health problem, work with your doctor to develop an exercise program. To condition your heart safely:
• Start at a comfortable level of exertion
Try walking five to 10 minutes over a short distance indoors. Increase five minutes a session, as tolerated.
• Schedule regular exercise
Aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day of low- to moderate-intensity physical activity.
• Include variety
Combine three types of exercise — stretching (flexibility), endurance (aerobic) and strengthening (weight training) — and three levels of intensity — warm-up, workout level and cool-down — in each exercise session.
• Cross-train to reduce your risk of injury
Alternate among exercises that emphasize different parts of the body, such as swimming, bicycling and walking.
• Don’t overdo it
Start slowly and build up gradually, allowing time between sessions for your body to rest and recover. And forget the saying “No pain, no gain.” A little muscle soreness when you do something new isn’t unusual, but soreness doesn’t equal pain. If it hurts, stop doing it.
• Increase your physical activity
Even routine activities such as gardening, climbing stairs or washing floors can burn calories and help improve your health, although not at the same level as a structured exercise program. Just keep moving: Walk or bike to the store instead of driving, park farther away at the shopping mall, take the stairs instead of an elevator.
• Drink plenty of fluids
Drink eight or more 8-ounce glasses of liquid daily in the form of water, juice, milk, tea or soup.
You must be logged in to post a comment.