OK, so technically heart health month is over…but as I said in my Health Seminar last week, Heart Health awareness must carry forward through the entire year.
That being said, I would like to offer insight into the method to my madness…why I’m so passionate about this topic and why I really want to get the message across that cardiovascular disease risk factors are largely controllable.
1) Heart disease is called the silent killer for a reason
Why does heart disease take 1 in 3 before there time? Partly because we don’t appreciate the impact poor lifestyle habits have on our overall health and partly because we fail to openly and honestly respect and love ourselves. Whether from parents, teachers, peers, and/or advertisements, we can be conditioned to believe that we are not good enough…but we both know that that’s BS. Take the first step towards health and recognize that you are worthy of your love, attention, time, and energy.
Check out this video for a deeper understanding of how high cholesterol can lead to a heart attack or stroke:
Source: http://www.nucleusinc.com/atherosclerosisinfo
2) We all have the power to make a significant impact on our risk
If you’ve been following along with the posts last month, you can see how simple it is to significantly lower your risk of developing heart disease and promote optimal health…up the veggie and soluble fibre intake, talk to your ND about fish oil, toss some raw olive oil and almonds in the mix, increase your physical activity through the day, and practice stress management techniques. If it’s really this easy and you’re having trouble making some of these lifestyle modifications, take a moment to examine what’s holding you back from taking the steps necessary to take advantage of these simple risk lowering tactics.
3) Prevention is absolutely key…slack now and pay the price later
Yes, it may be expensive to eat healthier and join a gym…but what’s the price of suffering from a heart attack or stroke? And from the feedback I get from clients, money is not the issue…it’s time. Again, I revisit the statement I made earlier: “take the first step towards health and recognize that you are worthy of your love, attention, time, and energy“. When this statement becomes etched in stone in your heart and mind, nothing will stop you from making the effort to prevent heart disease and lead a healthier life.
Hopefully, the image below can put things into better perspective. The choices you make today will dictate what happens down the road. I know you have what it takes to break the lethal cycle of heart disease we see in this country!
Source: Mozaffarian et al. Beyond Established and Novel Risk Factors: Lifestyle Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation. 2008; 117:3031-3038.
