How to Be Heart Smart

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States--nearly 1 in 4 die from some form of heart disease, as compared to a rate of 1 in 23 women who die from breast cancer. Heart disease is the number one killer of men as well, and men, on the whole, tend to develop and die of heart disease some 10 to 20 years earlier, on average, than women do. The good news is, there are a number of relatively easy lifestyle changes you can make to ensure that you and your heart have a long and healthy life together.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A pedometer
• A calorie counter (a number of websites will help you do this)
• Health insurance and a good primary care provider

1. Count your calories. Maintaining a healthy weight is key to heart health, and when it comes right down to it, calories (no matter what type) are what make us gain weight when we consume more than we burn.
2. Limit fat intake to no more than 25 or 35 percent--roughly 1/3--of your daily intake. Try to make sure the fats you eat are "good fats", too, such as nuts, olive oil and avocados, rather than unhealthy transfats.
3. Eat for or five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that you choose deeply-colored ones (carrots, spinach, berries, etc.) as these tend to be more nutrient-rich than their paler counterparts.
4. Try to consume at least 2 servings of fish (preferably mercury-free) every week. Oily fish such as salmon, trout and herring is especially rich in heart-healthy omega-3 acids, but be sure to ask for it baked, poached or grilled rather than fried.
5. Step up the pace. Moderate exercise is always good for the heart, and the AHA especially recommends walking. Get a pedometer to track the number of steps you take in an average day, then try to increase the number in any way you can. The average number is around 6,000 steps, but the AHA suggests 10,000 per day as a heart-healthy, yet achievable, goal.