Cebu City – It is important to care for your heart not only this February but throughout the year because a healthy heart is central to your overall good health. Ensuring that your heart is functioning well is highlighted this heart month with Proclamation No. 1906 which was officially on signed on 09 January 1973 to mark the celebration for the promotion of the awareness of heart disease as a serious and growing health concern among Filipinos.
How can we maintain a healthy heart? The World Health Organization suggests the following practical steps:
1. Eat a heart healthy diet. A heart friendly diet is a combination of fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Legumes and nuts. Reduce consumption of processed and salty meats such as ham, bacon, tocino, sausage, hotdog, as well as salty food such as dried fish. Choose healthier alternative of high-sodium condiments such as soy sauce, fish sauce, bagoong, and ketchup with calamansi juice and vinegar. Replace sweetened snacks such as doughnuts, cookies, and the like with fresh fruit and vegetables and if thirsty, substitute sweetened beverage sodas and sweetened juices with water.
2. If overweight, lose weight. Overweight and obesity pose a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease. Try to reduce 500 kilocalories in your daily diet, which will help bring about an average weight loss of approximately half to almost 1 kilogram a week.
3. Increase regular physical activity to at least 2.5 hours per week. Exercise and physical activity have impact on improved blood pressure, improved levels of cholesterol and other blood lipids, and weight control. Adults are recommended to perform at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity (e.g. brisk walking, climbing stairs, dancing, gardening or doing household chores which can result in mild increase of heart rate) spread throughout the week. If you had not started yet, start with small amounts of physical activity (even as a part of their normal daily activities) and gradually increase duration, frequency and intensity.
4. Don’t use tobacco. Smoking and tobacco use including exposure to second-hand smoke are harmful to your heart. Studies have shown that quitting tobacco use even after a year reduces risk of heart disease by half with that of a smoker. Fifteen years after quitting, the risk of heart disease is the same as that of a non-smoker.
5. Avoid use of alcohol. Drinking alcoholic beverages has been associated to more than 200 disease and injury conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. There is no safe level for drinking alcohol either occasional or binge drinking, so it is better to avoid drinking alcohol altogether to protect your heart.
6. Check your blood pressure and blood sugar regularly. Have your blood pressure and blood sugar checked regularly by a health worker. This is vital to maintain a healthy heart. You may not show signs even if you already have high blood pressure – and it can hurt your heart. If you are diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes, take your medicines regularly and talk to your health worker to help you plan the lifestyle modifications you should take to get your heart health back on track.
Always follow Kumainment No. 1 - Kumain ng ibat-ibang pagkain, Kumainment No. 3 – Kumain ng gulay at prutas araw-araw; Kumainment No. 8 – Hinay-hinay sa maaalat, mamamantika at matatamis; Kumainment No 9 – Panalitihin and tamang timbang; and Kumainment No 10 – Maging aktobo, iwasan and alak, huwag manigarilyo. These are heart friendly healthy practices good for all.
The promotion of Philippine Heart Month gives the unhealthy individuals that needed wake-up call and a friendly reminder for others with healthy heart. Awareness campaigns help in providing realizations before it’s too late. We can all follow the steps above to prevent heart disease. // NO I Gab Flores, RND
