Love Your Heart
February is the perfect time to devote yourself to a better and healthy lifestyle and promote Heart Health Awareness month. Making even the smallest changes in your lifestyle will improve the overall quality of your life. Heart disease is among the major cause of death for women and men alike. The awareness in this month first took place on February 1964 and it was President Lyndon B. Johnson who initiated this movement. During that time the deaths in the country were more than half caused by heart disease. Yet, we must recognize that cardiovascular disease is also one of the leading causes of death world wide. The amount is about 18 million and it is expected to get to as many as 24 million by the year 2030.
With this staggering amount of individuals who are affected by this disease there is a big chance we all know someone who has suffered or is suffering with it. It is bewildering to think of how high those numbers are, but that is the main purpose of this month, and well any other time of the year, to bring awareness and educate others. The month takes off with National Wear Red Day and it helps to promote heart disease. There are events held around the country where celebrities and organizations where read to raise funds to help combat this disease. Being able to gather money to help educate and also to help those affected is but one step to get more people involved. One of the biggest things everyone can do is simply make healthy choices. We can’t change such factors like family history or age, but choosing to eat more greens or to give up sugar can completely make a big impact.
Making some small diet changes can actually lower your risk by about 80 percent. Many of the best ways to reduce the risk for many is just by educating those around us and taking action together. A good step to start out with is by doing physical activities. Physical activity is a pretty good mood lifter, it keeps you fit and able, and it keeps the doctors away. Being more active can help with good cholesterol, lower blood pressure and improvement of blood flow, keep your weight under control, and even prevent bone loss. There really are so many small things to do that will help all of us reduce the risk of heart disease.
Encourage everyone in your neighborhood and especially your family members to wear red and educate others on this disease. To find out more information you can search online and visit websites. You can host events anywhere in your community from schools to libraries. Anywhere is a great start to a better understand of this disease and an even better step to combating it.
