Slash Your Heart Attack Risk!

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

21 Mar 2008 12:18 PM

I never want to have a heart attack. I hope it's something I never get to experience in life. Are you with me?

A recent study from the Boston University School of Medicine and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden looked at the medical histories for more than twenty-four thousand women. They found that just FIVE lifestyle choices can cut your heart attack risk by more than ninety percent.

The first two choices alone can cut your risk by more than fifty percent.

1. Drink ONLY a moderate amount of alcohol. That means no more than one half glass of wine daily.
2. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Put fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and legumes at the center of your diet.
3. Exercise every day. Make sure you include at least forty minutes of moderate exercise every day -- walking is a great choice. Pick one day of the week for an hour of more strenuous activity.
4. Reach a healthy weight and stay there. A quick way to check your body proportion: use a tape measure to make sure that your waist size is 85% or less of your hip size.
5. Don't smoke. If you do smoke, quit. Just one year after your last cigarette, your heart attack risk has dropped dramatically.

Are these huge lifestyle changes? That depends a lot on what your lifestyle is like now. If you already don't drink a lot of alcohol and don't smoke (I don't) you're off to a good start. If you already make an effort to choose whole grains, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, and stick to lean protein, you're off to a very good start!

You don't have to change your life all at once. Many small changes can add up to HUGE heart protection. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. Think of your life as Rome and make small changes that will build you into a healthy, happy city.

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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