As of now, you’re aware of your heart risks, how to eat for your heart health, and how to destress. For the last post of February, we will go over how you can manage your heart health through tracking your heart numbers. You may know your telephone number, your street number, and the number to your favorite radio station, but do you know your heart numbers?
Heart numbers comprise measurable or countable health factors such as blood pressure and the number of steps taken that convey how healthy your heart is. By keeping a count of where your numbers are, you can assess areas of your health that are doing well… or need some improvement.
Blood Pressure should stay below 120/80 mmHg. Quite commonly, adults have blood pressure of 140/90mmHg which is the lower end for the first stage of hypertension. However, blood pressure below 120/80 mmHg is the golden rule. The higher the numbers, the risk for high blood pressure, known as hypertension, increases. Factors that can increase blood pressure are stress, high salt intake, and obesity.
Monitor your blood sugar levels. Blood sugar levels refers to the amount of measurable glucose within your bloodstream at a given time. Individuals with high blood sugar pose damage their arteries and increase their risk for diabetes. In order to stay off of insulin medication and take care for your cardiovascular health, watch your blood sugar. When using a blood sugar meter, a fasting blood glucose less than 100 mg/dL is considered normal.
Count your steps! Focus more on consistent daily activity then just high intensity workouts. Sure, it is great to incorporate moderate-high intensity workouts into your week-but focus on getting more steps. Physical activity can lower resting heart rate and improve overall heart health. Don’t take the elevator, take the steps! Going out to lunch with a friend? Invite them for a walk afterwards!
Be mindful of your cholesterol levels. What comes to mind when you think about the word cholesterol? Your body uses cholesterol in many ways, but too much cholesterol can clog your arteries. Therefore, try to not consume a lot of saturated and trans fats that can be found in red meat, coconut oil, and dairy products. Try to keep total cholesterol less than 200mg/dL per day.
What is keeping you up at night? A healthy heart is a well-rested heart. We have already discussed in last week’s post that stress and anxiety increase risk of heart disease. Getting a good night’s sleep improves your
Photo by SHVETS production from Pexels capacity to make sense of your emotions and take on the day ahead. Staying up at night or loosing precious sleep hours can provoke unhealthy eating habits. Therefore, take a look at the number of hours a night you sleep.
Referencing your body mass index can help you manage your health numbers. Body mass index (BMI) is used to assess if an individual is at a healthy weight for their height. A BMI of 25-29.9 is categorized as overweight while 30-34.9 is obese. As we’ve covered before, being overweight and obese can cause increase your risk for heart disease. To calculate your BMI, take your weight in kilograms and divide by your height in meters squared. Click here to calculate your BMI.
Interested in learning how to fuel your heart? Click here!
Trying to destress? Checkout my tips here!
- Click here to watch the Latest Sweet Life Wellness Podcast Episode on How to Enjoy Mindful Eating.
- Click here to listen for FREE on Apple Podcasts.
- Want to listen for FREE on Spotify? Click here.
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
Candice Shipley, Student Nutritionist
Nutrition & Food Science – Dietetics
University of Maryland, College Park | 2023