Healthy RGV Issue 111- It's in Your Blood, What You Should Know About Hematology and Blood Disorders

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · FEBRUARY 2018
Eat right.
Nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains,
fruits, vegetables, and many other
foods are considered good-for-you
foods. Read labels. Learn which foods
you should avoid. Eat five servings of
fruits and vegetables per day. Avoid
rich oils and processed foods. They
can be high in trans fats. Stop eating
fast-food.
Find ways to reduce your
blood pressure like losing
weight, moderate your alcohol
consumption, exercise.
Speak to a physician and discuss
methods to reduce your blood
pressure. There are many tips and
techniques to get things moving in
the right direction. For some, that
might mean taking up yoga. For
others, it could be Tai Chi or a dance
class. Do whatever works, if it's not
detrimental in other ways.
Eat foods that will help you reduce
your cholesterol like fatty fish, walnuts,
almonds, soybeans, and soy milk.
Serve them with your meals or as a hearthealthy
snack.
Don't smoke.
Smoking is horrible for you. Have a
conversation with your kids about the
dangers of smoking. Smoking does
irreparable damage to your body. Your heart
sustains the most damage every time you
take a puff. It narrows your arteries, puts
extra pressure on your heart and lungs,
damages every cell in your body, stains your
teeth, and countless other unpleasant issues
that should frighten anyone who thinks they
want to pick up a cigarette.
Find out what your blood sugar rate is.
Know your numbers and, if risk factors are
present, learn your child's numbers. It's better
to know where you stand, then to cross your
fingers and hope everything is okay. Ask the
doctor to run a blood test for you to check.
Maintain a
healthy weight
for your body
type.
Again, know your
numbers and do what
you can to keep your
weight under control. That doesn't always
mean a diet. It can mean eat better, exercise
more, exercise differently. Maybe instead
of increasing the cardio, try weight-training
or vice versa. Make sure your numbers are
good for you and, more importantly, make
sure they're good for your overall health as
well. You don't want to jump onboard with a
fitness routine that isn't good for you. Some
may be too difficult to try or to maintain.
Some may not work your heart muscle
enough. Maintain a healthy balance between
where your resting heart-rate is and where
your heart-rate should be while exercising.
Try not to go out of that range to ensure
your heart will continue to function properly.
The bottom line is to make
sure you do whatever you
can to maintain your child's
heart health. You never want
to hear that your child is
sick or in danger because of
something that could have
been preventable.
By Sharon Lowell
25 HEALTHY MAGAZINE