Go Red For Women!
The American Heart Association launched “Go Red for
Women” to call attention to the fact that heart disease is the leading
cause of death for American women.
About 480,000 women die of cardiovascular disease annually,
more than the total number of cardiovascular disease-related deaths
in men. But the good news is that heart disease can be prevented.
Go Red For Women provides females with the knowledge and
tools needed to take positive action to reduce their risk of heart
disease and stroke and protect their health. Spreading the Go Red
For Women message “love your heart” raises awareness of heart
disease and empowers women to reduce their risk by learning the
steps to prevent it.
Risk factors for heart disease that may be controlled include:
There are other risk factors to be aware of such as age, race and
heredity. Talk to your doctor about how you can control your risk
factors for heart disease.
Find a personal way to Go Red for Women. You can do
something special to acknowledge the campaign against heart
disease; increase your exercise, visit your health care provider,
or maintain a healthy diet.
February is American Heart Month |
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, is our
nation’s No. 1 killer. For over 40 years, Congress has
designated February as American Heart Month
with a goal to raise funds for research and
education and pass along information about heart
disease and stroke. |
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Diet Tips for a Healthy Heart
Healthy food habits can help you reduce high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess body weight.
Instead of: |
Do This: |
Whole or 2 percent milk,
and cream
|
Use 1 percent or skim milk. |
Fried foods |
Eat baked, steamed, oiled, broiled
or microwaved foods. |
Lard, butter, palm, and coconut oils |
Cook with unsaturated vegetable
oils, such as corn, olive, canola,
safflower, sesame, soybean,
sunflower or peanut. |
Fatty cuts of meat, such as
prime rib
|
Eat lean cuts of meat or cut off the
fatty parts.
|
One whole egg in recipes |
Use two egg whites. |
Sour cream and mayonnaise
sauces, butter and salt
|
Use plain low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, or low-fat or “light”
sour cream. |
Regular hard and processed
cheeses |
Season vegetables with herbs and spices. |
Salted potato chips and
other snacks |
Eat low-fat, low-sodium cheeses choose low-fat, unsalted tortilla and potato chips and unsalted pretzels and popcorn. |
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Walk to a Healthier You
Finding the time to work out is a challenge for many women. It’s easier to commit
to an exercise program if you schedule the time into your day — as you would a
meeting. To benefit from walking; plan to walk three to five times a week, with a “training heart rate” for 15 to 60 minutes. If you can’t do more than 15 minutes
at a time, try to work in two or three 15-minute sessions throughout the day.
Your training heart rate zone is a critical element in the benefits you receive from
exercising. A "training heart rate" means that your heart is beating at 60 to 80
percent of its maximum rate per minute. Figure your maximum heart rate by
subtracting your age in years from 220. Multiply the result by 0.6 and 0.8 to get
the bottom and top of your target zone for aerobic training.
To learn more about women and heart disease and how Penn Cardiac and Vascular Care physicians address the special needs of women call 800-789-PENN (7366).
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