World Heart Day on Sunday

The annual World Heart Day celebrates its 10 year anniversary this Sunday, September 26. The World Heart Day was created to promote heart health and inform people across the globe the unconceivable truth; that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death. Each year, the disease causes more than 17 million lives!

In partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) the World Heart Federation organizes events in 100 countries, with the aim of spreading awareness of heart diseases through health checkups, organized walks and lectures by healthcare professionals.

Even though major risk factors of heart disease, such as age, genes and family history, are beyond control, there are still a few key steps you can adopt towards reducing your risk of heart problems and increasing your health.

• Do not smoke – Smoking increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease by 50% or more.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet – control your salt and fat intake to keep the blood cholesterol level in shape. Control your sodium intake, as too much sodium can increase the blood pressure, resulting in a higher risk for heart disease and stroke.
• Have an active lifestyle and keep a healthy weight – with 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day you can reduce blood pressure levels and keep your weight.
• Limit your alcohol intake – Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to weight gain and with that high blood pressure.
• Go for regular health checkups – High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels.
• Encourage stress-free moments – High levels of stress is linked to an elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Establish a regular sleep schedule and regular relaxing activities.

Remember, if you take care of your heart, it will take care of you!!

Happy World Heart Day!

7 Steps for a Healthy Heart

The American Heart Association has identified 7 “easy” steps for you to get a healthy heart.

According to the organization; ideal cardiovascular health for adults is defined by these measures:

1. Never smoked or quit more than a year ago.
2. A healthy Body Mass Index (BMI).
3. Physical activity. At least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise is necessary for ideal health, which is equivalent to 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity weekly.
4. Blood pressure below 120/80.
5. Fasting blood glucose less than 100 milligrams/deciliter.
6. Total cholesterol of less than 200 milligrams/deciliter.
7. Keeping a healthy diet. Four to five of the key components are followed. For a diet with 2,000 calories; these include:

• At least 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables per day.
• At least two 3.5 oz. of servings of fish per week.
• At least three 1-ounce servings of fiber-rich whole grains per day.
• Limiting sodium intake to less than 1,500 milligrams per day.
• Drinking no more than 36 ounces weekly of sugar-sweetened beverages.

By the year 2020, the AHA hopes that the 7 factors could improve health of Americans by 20%, and reduce deaths from cardiovascular diseases and strokes by 20%.

Find other peoples comments on how to get a healthy heart on Novasans.com’s Facebook Page!

Cutting Salt is as Good as Quitting Smoking

Want to get healthier? One excellent and easy way of accomplishing this is through using less salt in your diet.

A recent medical research through computer models shows that cutting U.S. salt intake by just half a teaspoon a day would prevent up to 99,000 heart attacks, 66,000 strokes and 92,000 deaths. These are staggering numbers for sure!

The benefits of reduced salt intake are similar to the benefits of reduction in obesity, tobacco use and cholesterol levels.

However, there are several important factors to consider when trying to cut down the salt intake. First of all, you have to stop salting your food as much as you have before. But even more importantly; you also have to be aware of the processed food that you are eating. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that 77% of the salt in the American diet comes from processed food. Only 6% is sprinkle in the food during cooking, and 5% is added at the table.

So if you want to make sure to cut your salt intake, and live healthier, make sure to read the table of contents!