You may see a lot of hearts around Valentine’s Day but February is also heart health month. It is a time to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the country, and encourage healthy lifestyle choices to prevent heart disease.
Four Corners Health Department Press Release
Research shows you can lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association shares Life’s Essential 8 to help us lower our risk.
- Eat Better: Make smart choices in what you’re eating to create a healthy eating style. Read the nutrition labels. Watch how much you put on your plate. Be sure to include fruits and vegetables.
- Be More Active: Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Kids should get at least 60 minutes every day. Find something you enjoy and do it regularly. Make it a habit.
- Quit Tobacco: Less than a year after quitting tobacco, your risk of getting heart disease goes down by half. Make a plan for quitting. One option to help you quit: 1-800-QUIT-NOW or https://ne.quitlogix.org/en-US/ Learn how to handle cravings.
- Get Healthy Sleep: Adults should get an average of 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Put down your phone and turn on “do not disturb” well before going to bed.
- Manage Weight: Keep track of how much you are putting into your body. Your activity effects whether what you put in your body is being used or stored. Stay active. Control what you eat and your portion sizes.
- Control Cholesterol: Cholesterol comes from both the food you eat and your body. Not all cholesterol is bad but too much can cause risks. Talk to a healthcare professional about measuring your cholesterol. They can help you understand if you are at a healthy level.
- Manage Blood Sugar: Know what your blood sugar level is and if it is in a healthy range. There are several ways to test. Contact your doctor for advice.
- Manage Blood Pressure: Blood pressure is written as two numbers. The top number measures the pressure when the heart beats. This should be lower than 120. The bottom number is the pressure when the heart is resting in between beats. This should be lower than 80. Medical professionals should be the ones to confirm if you have high or low blood pressure
More information can be found here: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8
Four Corners is working to learn more about heart health in our community, starting with Polk County. If you have an interest in heart health, please contact us to join our group. We want to work together to find ways to support people in having healthier hearts.
Another way to learn about and promote healthy living is by taking a class. Four Corners will be starting a Living Well class in Stromsburg on February 21st. The class goes for 6 weeks and meets around two or two and a half hours each week on Friday mornings. This interactive workshop is led by trained leaders and helps individuals with chronic conditions, and those who care for them, take steps to manage their health and live happier, healthier lives. Topics include: action planning, communication, healthy eating, physical activity, medication management, and more! Contact Four Corners to get signed up today.
For questions or to learn more, call Four Corners at 402-362-2621 or 877-337-3573 or email us at info@fourcorners.ne.gov. Visit the Four Corners website at https://fourcorners.ne.gov. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel @fc_healthdept!
