Life's Simple 7 Measures For Healthy Heart | Arthritis Information

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Good info to know...and to follow

 
The American Heart Association (AHA) has for the first time defined "ideal cardiovascular health" and linked it to seven simple measures ("Life's Simple 7") that people can influence through diet and lifestyle changes to move from poor and intermediate to ideal health.
 
Life's Simple 7
  1. Never smoked, or quit more than a year ago.
  2. Having a BMI (body mass index) of less than 25 kg/m2.
  3. Exercising at a moderate level for at least 150 minutes, or at an intense level for 75 minutes per week.
  4. Meeting four to five of the key components of a healthy diet in line with current AHA guidelines.
  5. Having a total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL.
  6. Blood pressure below 120/80 mm Hg.
  7. Fasting blood glucose below 100 mg/dL.
BMI or body mass index is the ratio of a person's weight in kilos to their height in metres squared. For instance, a person 6 ft tall (1.83 m) weighing 13 stone (82.6 kg) has a BMI of 24.8, while a person who is a foot shorter (5 ft tall, 1.5 m) would have to be 3 stone (19.1 kg) lighter (9 stone, 57.2 kg) to have about the same BMI.

AHA Healthy Diet

The AHA defines the key components of a healthy diet (based on a 2,000 calories a day diet) as:
  • 4.5 cups a day of fruits and vegetables: diets rich in these are linked to lower risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as lower rates of obesity and high blood pressure.
  • Two or more 3.5 ounce (100 gm) servings a week of fish (preferably oily such as salmon or mackerel, since these are high in omega-3 fatty acids). Eating fish is linked with lower risk of sudden cardiac death, and diets high in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce triglycerides in some people.
  • Less than 450 kcal a week of sugar-sweetened beverages (a 330 ml, 12 fl oz, can of coke is 139 kcal). The more sweetened beverages you consume, the greater the chance that you are displacing necessary nutrients from your diet that should come from healthier foods. High sugar diets are linked with obesity, and more recently, high blood pressure.
  • Three or more 1-ounce (28 gm) servings a day of whole grains. These are high in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, and they also contain essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Diets high in whole grains are linked to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and help you reach and maintain a healthy body weight.
  • Less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests nearly 70 per cent of US adults exceed this.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176651.php
Took me a bit to convert stones to pounds great points!! Thanks..
I am working toward compliance w/ all that!!

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