In February we celebrate and raise awareness for heart health. Statistics show that heart disease is the number one killer of women, and contributes to more deaths each year than the next five causes of death combined.

Do you know your risk? The Spokane Go Red for Women luncheon raises awareness for heart health. This event is an annual feature in Spokane, providing information about heart health and promoting proactive care. The danger of strokes, heart attacks, and heart diseases may be the most overlooked health factor that Americans face today.  How important to you is your Heart Health? There are a few risk factors that we can’t control, things like gender, genetics, and age. But the good news is that the American Heart Association has identified several risk factors that you can take charge of.

To reduce the danger of suffering from a stroke, heart attack and heart disease, consider the following factors, and remember, you can choose NOT to be a victim. Prevention is key to your heart health!

Want to drop your risk by fifty percent? Smokers have twice the risk of non-smokers. This one single action reduces your chances of having a stroke or heart attack by half. Pretty good bang for your buck!

Drop your cholesterol. As your cholesterol goes up, so does your risk of coronary heart disease. High blood pressure adds stress to your heart and arteries. Diabetes, even well controlled, adds to your risk of heart disease and stroke, but the risks are much greater for diabetics with blood sugar levels that are too high. And combining these things adds even more to your risk.

Get moving. Aerobic exercise and strength training immediately begins to strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system.  Your blood pressure gets lower, as your endurance improves.  It also helps by reducing your body fat, reducing your tension, stress, depression, and anxiety. Your sleep improves, making you feel more relaxed and rested.

Get a handle on your diet. Replace your poor food choices one by one and daily with heart boosters like salmon, flax, and oatmeal. Omega 3-fatty acids, fiber, potassium, magnesium, folate, and B-vitamins all boost your protection.  Almonds and walnuts contain vitamin E, an essential vitamin for your heart health. Replace pizza and burgers with blueberries, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and red peppers. Tomatoes are prolific, plant at home and reap the benefits of vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and lutein all summer long.

Controlling your diet, and committing to a cardio and strength training exercise plan like the one offered at Physzique will immediately begin to lower your heart health risks. Did you know that the American Heart Association has reported that even dropping just ten percent of your excess weight will immediately begin to lower your risk for heart disease? And with help from Physzique, just 45 minutes two or three times a week and you will begin to see results in as little as two weeks.

So while Spokane celebrates heart health month all month in February, don’t be surprised to see your co-workers wearing red on Fridays or sporting the “little red dress” pin.  Call Zach Hunt at Physzique to improve your heart health, and get started in February. There has never been a better time to take charge of your heart health and reduce your risks.

We all ingest salt every day, whether we realize it or not. Various organizations, including the USDA, AHA, and Cooking Light magazine, recommend less than 2,300 milligrams sodium daily (the amount in one teaspoon of table salt) for healthy people. Most Americans consume closer to 4,000 milligrams a day. Salt is in nearly every single processed food on the market today. Bread, catsup, candy, even soft drinks. And then we put more on when we eat those already salted foods. However, the more we use, the more our palates desire. Let’s take a more detailed look at this not so great Spokane super supplement.

“Sodium has benefits, like helping to maintain the body’s right balance of fluids,” says cardiologist Richard Katz, MD, director of the cardiology division of George Washington University. “But ingesting too much salt is a prime cause of increased blood pressure. Higher blood pressure is a major cause of heart attacks and strokes, both of which can be reduced by minimizing salt intake.” Even among healthy adults there is usually room for improvement in the blood pressure department. “If blood pressure is 125/70, it’s better at 120/70,” Katz says. (The American Heart Association [AHA] notes that low blood pressure is relative for each person and is a concern when it drops suddenly. Your doctor can help you reach a blood pressure goal that best enhances your health.)
“Only a quarter of sodium intake actually comes from salting our food,” says AHA President Dan Jones, MD. “More than 75 percent of sodium in our diets comes from processed foods.” Salt is a natural preservative and it enhances flavor, so it’s no surprise that salt and other forms of sodium are included in packaged foods.

What do I need to to do change my salt intake and balance my Spokane super supplements?

The first step to keep sodium under control is to make smart choices at your Spokane grocery store. Choose sodium-free, low-sodium, or no-salt-added convenience foods. Always read the label! Reading the Nutrition Facts Panel is an easy way to gauge the amount of sodium present in a food. If an item contains more than 20 percent Daily Value (DV) of a nutrient, a serving of that food is considered to contain a high amount of that nutrient, according to the FDA; five percent DV of a nutrient is deemed low. For sodium, 20 percent DV equals 460 milligrams; five percent DV sodium is just 115 milligrams.

Lower-fat or fat-free products can be higher in sodium than their full-fat counterparts: An ounce of full-fat sharp cheddar cheese has less sodium than one ounce of fat-free cheddar. When fat, a major vehicle for flavor, is removed, other ingredients like sodium may be added to compensate. Still, if you’re trying to limit saturated fat in your diet by enjoying low- and fat-free foods, the trade-off may be worth it if you limit sodium in other areas.

• -Disodium guanylate (flavor enhancer)

• -Disodium inosinate (flavor enhancer)

• -Sodium alginate (thickener)

• -Sodium benzoate (preservative)

• -Sodium bicarbonate (texture enhancer)

• -Sodium citrate (pH influencer)

• -Sodium hydroxide (pH influencer)

Exercise can help keep your body balanced both inside and outand great Spokane super supplements can help. When you sweat, you secrete the salts in your body. However, if you work out hard or play hard for more than an hour, you should drink an electrolyte replacing sports drink because you can actually lose too much salt while working out for long periods of time. To get the best exercise and body of your life, contact Zach Hunt with Physzique personal fitness!