According to the American Heart Association, heart disease
and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of women in the
United States.They are two of the many cardiovascular
diseases that kill nearly 500,000 women each year.You can
keep your heart healthy by following these 10 simple steps:
 MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR
PHYSICIAN. Get your blood pressure, cholesterol
and glucose levels checked. Ask your doctor
to help you reach or maintain a
healthy weight.
STOP SMOKING. If you smoke,
quit. Here’s four steps to
snuff your smoking habit:
Day 1 – cut the number
of cigarettes you smoke
in half. Day 3 – cut the
number in half again.
Day 5 – cut the
number in half again.
On your Quit Day…
quit!
EXERCISE. Step,
march or jog in place
for at least 15 minutes
a day while watching
TV. Increase this exercise
by five minutes each week
until you’re getting at least
30 minutes of this exercise
most days of the week. The
Hunterdon Health and Wellness
Center offers a variety of programs and
their fitness staff can help you develop a
program to meet your fitness goals.
EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. Your diet
should include a variety of fruits and vegetables,
which contain nutrients and phytonutrients to
help prevent heart disease. Try to eat five to nine
servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
EAT NUTS. Nuts are rich sources of
monounsaturated fats, which can help lower
cholesterol. Try one ounce of nuts per day
including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, brazil nuts
and hazelnuts.
EAT SEAFOOD. Eating seafood once or twice a
week increases the amount of healthy omega-3
fatty acids you eat and decreases your risk of
heart disease. Fish such as mackerel, salmon,
albacore tuna and sardines have the most
omega-3 fatty acids.
REDUCE SATURATED FAT INTAKE. Saturated fats
contribute to the plaque buildup inside your
arteries and help raise blood levels of cholesterol.
Butter, lard, whole milk, cream, animal fat
and bacon are especially high in
saturated fat, as are many snack
products such as chips, biscuits,
crackers and pastries. Read labels
and choose foods with the
lowest saturated fat possible.
USE MONOUNSATURATED
FATS. Olive oil and
canola oil are high in
monounsaturates, which
help to reduce blood
cholesterol and may help
raise levels of HDL (the
“good” cholesterol).
INCREASE YOUR FIBER.
Fiber helps to lower cholesterol
and people who eat more fiber
have a lower risk of heart disease.
Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables,
grains and legumes. Try to eat 25 to 35
grams of fiber each day.
REDUCE YOUR SODIUM INTAKE. The average
American consumes about 2,300-6,900
milligrams of sodium each day. The human
body only requires about 500 milligrams of
sodium per day. Decreasing salt intake in a diet
can help reduce high blood pressure and can
also decrease your chances of having a stroke
and developing heart disease. | 
