Did you know…Diabetes increases your chances of having coronary heart disease, heart attack, and stroke?
Statistics show that heart disease and stroke account for approximately 65% of deaths in people with diabetes.
In order to pro‐ tect yourself, you must maintain a healthy heart and healthy blood vessels. You can do this by making just a few life‐ style changes.
Healthy nutrition, and physical activity, are important components in the prevention and/ or management of diabetes and heart disease. Here are some quick tips to follow:
- Choose lean meats and low fat dairy products. This will help control the amount of saturated fat in your diet and help lower or maintain cholesterol levels within normal limits.
- Limit trans fats as they may raise cholesterol and LDL levels. Foods high in trans fats include pastries, cook‐ ies, doughnuts, hard margarines and shortening. When reading the ingredient list of foods, watch out for “hydrogenated oils” as they are an indicator of trans fat.
- Increase your intake of beneficial fats, which will help lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, while in‐ creasing HDL levels. These include monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocado, almonds, pecans, peanut oil, sesame seeds), polyunsaturated fats (corn oil, saf‐ flower oil, sunflower oil, walnuts, pumpkin seeds), and omega‐3 fatty acids (salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, flaxseed, canola oil, tofu).
- Consume fish high in omega‐3 fatty acids 2‐3 times per week. Consider baking, broiling, or grilling. Avoid fried fish.
- Increase your intake of dietary fiber. It is recom‐ mended that adults consume 20‐35 grams of fiber per day, as this helps to lower cholesterol. Foods high in fiber include whole grain breads and cere‐ als, fruits, and vegetables. Just remember to drink plenty of fluids.
- Limit the sodium in your diet. Reduce your intake to no more than 2.3 grams (2,300 mg) per day. Try using natural herbs and spices to season your favorite foods and avoid the salt shaker.
Healthy Heart
Here are more
quick tips to
follow:
- Limit alcohol consumption. The recommendation is no more than 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 per day for men. Dis‐ cuss the use of alcohol with your health care team to determine whether it is safe for you.
- Engage in physical activity most days of the week. Aim for a total of 150 min‐ utes of moderate intensity activity (increased heart rate) each week. Make sure you obtain clearance from your physician prior to staring an exercise program.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Your health care team can help you determine what a healthy, realistic weight is for you.
- If you smoke, QUIT. Smoking increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and certain types of cancers. It also increases cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Know Your Numbers!
HbA1c >>>>>>> Less than 7%
Blood Pressure>>>>>> Less than 130/80
Total Cholesterol>>>>>> Less than 200
HDL (Good)>>>>>> Greater than 40 in men; Greater than 50 in women
LDL (Bad)>>>>>>> Less than 100
HbA1c is a blood test result that tells you and
your health care team about your average
blood sugar control over the previous two to
three months. This result does not tell you the
day to day swings in blood sugar ‐ so keep
monitoring!
Blood pressure is a measure of the pressure of
the blood against the walls of the arteries. The
first value (systolic) measures the pressure as
the heart contracts. The second value
(diastolic) measures the pressure as the heart
relaxes between beats.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance in our body
that comes from the food that we eat and is
also made by the body in the liver. Cholesterol
has important roles in our body, including
making hormones. However, too much choles‐
terol leads to a build up on the walls of the
arteries, causing possible blockage, especially
of those leading to the heart and brain.
Stay active—aim for 30 minutes most days!
"Your Health Is Our Concern"
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