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I can vaguely remember conversations with my mother and grandmother, from as early as eight years old, telling me that the things I put into my body today will have a major effect on the number of tomorrows my body will give me. I know it sounds unusual, but it makes a lot of sense. I’ve seen a large number of my family members suffer from heart disease, become hospitalized for long periods of time, and pass away. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is celebrating Heart Month with their Make Death Wait campaign, and here’s why you should you care about your heart health.
The Facts
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, heart disease and stroke is the number one killer of Canadian women. There are a number of risk factors that encompass heart health and warning signs leading to potential heart diseases or stroke.
There are also health and healthcare factors, such as blood pressure, as well as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, which should be checked biannually to ensure that all levels are under control and that diseases like diabetes can be avoided.
Mental and physical conditions play an important role in heart health, especially if you are taking medication, or are required to do any number of things to reduce the risk of lowering your overall health.
The Risks
There are two types of risk factors in identifying heart problems, illnesses, or diseases: the risks you have no control over and the risks you can control or eliminate. Factors such as gender, ethnicity and family history are beyond your control
The Next Steps
To take control of risk factors you can control, here are a few tips for improving your heart health and staying healthy and happy for this month and many months to follow.
Make a plan . Decide your health goals.
Set a date. Mark it on your calendar and be ready to start making positive changes.
Create a support network. Use your friends and family to help you get on and stay on the right track.
Do your research. Read as much as you can about the risks and the ways to reduce risks. The more you know, the better your chances are of making a positive change.
If you’d like to know where you stand in terms of your heart health, fill out this free risk assessment from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and see what you can do as soon as today!
No matter how many risk factors are identified, it’s never too late to make death wait.
For more information, visit:
https://ehealth.heartandstroke.ca/heartstroke/hsra/?LID=1&pgSrc=risk_homepage_sidebar_HSFsite
Photo credits:
http://www.ualberta.ca/~hsf/images/heartlift.png
http://czthomas.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/make-death-wait.jpg?w=300