How to keep your heart pumping for years to come….
Wednesday, October 24th, 2007….By Tending to Matters of the Heart!
You are at a crucial turning point in your life. You’ve made the decision to make healthy living a priority in your daily life and now it’s time to step into action.
Say goodbye to excuses like “I don’t have time to take off work to go to the doctors” or “The doctor won’t tell me something that I don’t already know.” Stop feeling like you’re on this journey to healthy living on your own because you’re not. Dr. Ferguson, The Health and Wellness Queen, is here to give you three simple and easy steps to help you focus on matters of the heart.
Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death of men and women in the United States and now is the time to take the first step to living healthier and longer.
You’ve heard the phrase before and you may have even told your kids or students this before but the phrase rings true…”Knowledge is power.” And when it comes to your heart, knowledge is the fundamental key to unlocking the strength and power that lies within….
….Leading to the first step to a healthy heart—which is knowledge…..knowledge about your current state of health. And that means a visit to the doctor for a full physical including blood work.
The results of that comprehensive medical evaluation will tell you four key facts about your overall state of health:
1) if you have diabetes or the propensity to develop diabetes, called prediabetes;
2) if you have high blood pressure (blood pressure 140/90 mmHg or greater) or prehypertension (systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure between 80 to 89 mmHg);
3) if you are overweight or obese; and
4) if you need further testing to see if you already have heart disease before beginning an exercise program.
Only your doctor will be able to give you a thorough physical assessment to determine if you are physically fit to start on an exercise or weight loss program. If your doctor finds any “red flags” such as uncontrolled hypertension or an unacceptably high risk for heart disease, you will need further testing prior to starting a new program.
The second step to a healthy heart is support…support from your family and friends to help you reach your goal of healthy living.
Without the support and encouragement of family and friends, most people will often quit a weight loss or exercise program long before they reach their goal. This is especially true if your goal is getting fit, healthy eating or stomping out tobacco. Get your family and friends involved in your weight loss goal. Encourage others to join you and you’ll garner the support that you’ll need to make it to your ultimate goal.
The third and final step to a healthy heart is consistency…consistency in maintaining your goals and your forward approach to life.
You need to remove anything in your life that is hindering you from consistently reaching your goal….that could be a friend or colleague that means well but always leaves the donuts near your desk, or an acquaintance that always has something negative to say about your change in behavior.
These people drain your energy and your motivation to continue on your goal for a healthy heart and for better health and need to be excised from your life. This may seem harsh and even downright mean but this time is important to you and your health. You need people who are going to fight for you and not against you.
The people that you surround yourself with and the activities that you participate in will greatly affect your chances of reaching your ultimate goal. So to be consistent and to persevere, you need to focus those around you on what you set as important.
Your life and your heart depends on you getting the necessary knowledge about your current health state, the support to maintain your goal and focus to concentrate your efforts to reach your ultimate goal of a healthy heart.
So use these three simple steps to start on your journey to a healthy heart today!
To your wellness,
Dr. Traci Ferguson, The Health and Wellness Queen
