Did you know that 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women will develop a heart condition before the age of 60? According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, 17.1 million people die globally every year from heart disease and stroke. In South Africa 33 heart attacks, 37 heart failures and 60 strokes occur every day.
Follow these heart smart health tips for better heart health:
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet including a variety of foods
- Eat smaller, more regular meals
- Choose the Heart Mark! When shopping, look out for products bearing the Heart Mark logo as these are better, heart healthier food choices i.e. lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar and often higher in fibre
- Include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day
- Try to include fatty fish as part of your diet at least twice a week
- Limit the intake of red meat to 2-3 times per week
- Eat fats sparingly, limiting ‘bad’ fats and including more ‘good’ fats in your diet
- Limit your daily intake of foods high in cholesterol such as egg yolks, organ meats, calamari, shrimps and prawns
- Limit the intake of refined and sugary foods
- Have at least 2 servings of low fat milk/dairy products every day
- Use salt sparingly. Intake should be limited to 1 teaspoon a day (6g), remembering that processed foods also contain a lot of hidden salts
- If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Limit to 1 drink/day in women and 2 drinks/day in men
- Control your weight through regular physical activity - aim for 30 minutes 5 times a week
- Manage stress. High stress is often linked to cardiovascular events
- Quit smoking or don’t even start
- Know your numbers i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI
- (The Heart and Stroke Foundation, August 2010)
No comments:
Post a Comment