February is American Heart Month
Annually, over 600,000 Americans lose their lives to heart disease. It’s the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The American Heart Association (AHA) has projected that by 2030, 40.5 percent of the U.S. population will have some form of cardiovascular disease, and the direct medical costs attributed to cardiovascular diseases will triple compared to costs in 2010.
Fortunately, a significant number of research studies have documented that heart disease is easily, and almost completely, preventable and reversible. Simple dietary and lifestyle changes can go a long way in reducing the risk of this deadly disease to help your employees live longer and enjoy a better quality of life.
Simple steps for a healthier heart
- Get Active – Getting your heart pumping with at least 30 minutes of moderate-level exercise on most days of the week will help stave off heart disease, according to the AHA.
- Control Cholesterol – High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Talk with your physician about lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet, getting more exercise, and improving the length and quality of your sleep, as well as if you could benefit from cholesterol medication.
- Improve Diet – One of the easiest ways to stay heart healthy is to simply eat more of the foods you’ve always known are good for you. This includes choosing nonfat or low-fat dairy products over whole-milk products, eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, and substituting fresh fish and chicken for red or processed meats.
- Manage Blood Pressure – A healthy blood pressure starts with a heart-healthy diet. Other important factors are regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting salt and alcohol, and taking medication prescribed by your doctor.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight – Identify your ideal body weight through considerations such as weight, height, body frame size, body fat percentage and location. Today, most health professionals agree that a body mass index (BMI) of between 18.5 and 24.9 is healthy.
- Reduce Blood Sugar – High blood sugar occurs when your body can’t effectively transport sugar from blood into cells. When left unchecked, this can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Controlling carbs, increasing fiber, monitoring portion size, drinking more water, exercising, and controlling stress can all help you reduce your blood sugar level.
- Stop Smoking – Smoking dramatically raises your risk of death from cardiovascular disease. But just a year after you stop, your chances of a smoking-related heart attack will be reduced by half. After 15 years, your likelihood of dying from a heart attack will be the same as someone who never smoked.
How Healics can help
At Healics, every month is heart month. Our certified health coaches work with individuals every day to help them identify their risks for heart disease and take key steps to lower those risks and improve their health.
Whether you are a company of two or 10,000, Healics can team with you to develop a wellness or coaching program that helps your employees achieve their goals, reduce their heart health risks and take the necessary steps to feel better and live longer. We’re nurse-owned and -operated, and will partner with you to create a wellness culture that helps to lower insurance claims, reduce health premiums — and most importantly — allows your employees to lead healthier, happier lives.
Want to give your employees the benefit of better health? Call us at 1-800-HEALICS today or contact us now.
