Cebu City – Cardiovascular diseases like arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, heart attack, cardiomyopathy or heart muscle disease is one of the causes of death in the Philippines.  These cardiovascular diseases are triggered by a combination of risk factors such as unhealthy habits like tobacco use and excessive intake of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high level of lipid profile especially cholesterol levels, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. 

Most of these risk factors are part of your lifestyle hence it can be changed or modified if you put your mind to it. Here are some tips that you can follow to achieve a healthy heart and life. 

• Restrict yourself from any tobacco use and alcohol abuse. Both gives the heart and the body a great amount of stress. With smoking, the people around you are also affected with the secondhand smoke. Quitting these vices is the greatest gift you could give to your heart and to the people around you. 
• If overweight or obese, it is ideal to lose those excess weight. A high waist circumference is a risk factor of acquiring cardiovascular disease. Reducing the usual food intake to the ideal amount and physical activity is most likely needed to achieve the ideal weight for height 
• Eat a healthy and nutritious diet especially a heart friendly one. This includes whole grain foods like oatmeal and brown rice, fruits, and vegetables. It is also beneficial to control the consumption of salty food like bagoong and dried fish, limit your intake of fried or oily, processed, canned food, lessen the consumption of fast-food items. Another helpful tip is to substitute sweet snacks like ice cream, cake, doughnuts with fresh fruits or fresh juices. 
• It is important to make exercise be part of your lifestyle. Start introducing physical activity on your weekly activities, achieve at least 2-3 hours of exercise. Physical activity does not only help with weight loss but also in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Start with light to moderate activities like walking, light jogging, gardening, walking the dogs then slowly increasing it for longer periods during the week. 
• Always monitor your blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Have a regular check up with your physician and don’t forget to drink medicines as prescribed by your doctor. 

Doing the above tips is a great start in improving your lifestyle. Start with small steps and gradually increase it day by day for better health and longevity.  // NO I Christine April M. Lopez, RND