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February Newsletter
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Valley Crossroads SDA Church

Health Ministries

 

February, 2007

Dr. Linda Tigner-Weekes, MD:  Director of Health Ministries

Mr. Tedford Minor: Associate Director of Health Ministries

This month from Health Ministries:

 

·   Guidelines for maintaining a healthy heart!

 

For more information:

American Heart Association

Adventist Health

Ellen White's Counsels on Health

MedlinePLUS: Heart Disease

 

 

 

 

Love your heart and love each other!

 

 

 

 

 

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.”

Proverbs 15:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact

Dr. Linda Tigner-Weekes

ljtweekes@aol.com

 

 

 

LOVE Your Heart!

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Proverbs 4:23 

 

In the month of February, we celebrate love and the healthy heart. Heart disease is the single largest killer of men and women in this country. One in two women will die of heart disease, compared to one in 25 who will die of breast cancer. More than 925,000 Americans die each year from cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, heart disease can be controlled by changes in diet and lifestyle. Risk factors such as heredity, gender, and age cannot be controlled but they are usually the least important ones. Risk factors that lifestyle changes can control include diabetes, elevated cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, hypertension, smoking, obesity, and stress. Medical treatments such as medications, bypass surgeries, and balloon stretching are glamorous, techno- sophisticated, and very attractive to the patient—but are temporary solutions at best to a long term problem. The only long term solution is a serious lifestyle change.

 

Follow these steps from the American Heart Association for a healthy heart:

 
  1.  Eat well for your heart

Ø      Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.

Ø      Eat at least 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

Ø      Eat at least 6 daily servings of breads, pastas, cereal and other grain foods, including whole grains.

Ø      Use fat-free and low-fat dairy products, fish, beans, poultry, and lean meats.

EAT THE RAINBOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

To determine your percentage of overweight, look up your ideal body weight, take its midpoint, and subtract it from your actual weight. Divide the difference in pounds by your ideal weight and multiply by 100.

 
  1. Stay at, or close to, a healthy body weight

Ø      Eat less calories. Use smaller plates!

Ø      Go easy on foods, such as desserts, that are high in calories and/or low in nutritional value and watch portion sizes.

Ø      Fewer high sugar foods like soft drinks.

Ø      Fewer added fats.

Ø      Exercise, or be active, every day of the week.

Ø      Aim for at least 30 minutes of activity.

Ø      Spend less time watching TV and sitting.

Ø      Women: waistline 35 inches and under

Ø      Men: waistline 40 inches and under

 

 

 

Cholesterol should be kept under 160 mg%.
  1. Keep blood cholesterol at a desirable level

Ø      Bake, broil, or grill food instead of frying.

Ø      Trim fat from meat and remove the skin from chicken, turkey and other poultry.

Ø      Eat fish twice a week.

Ø      Season with fat-free broth and herbs and spices instead of fatty meat, fat back, bacon or butter.

Ø      Replace shortening, lard, butter, and other solid fats with small amounts of liquid vegetable oils (e.g. canola and olive oil).

Ø      Eat fewer foods made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.

Ø      Replace a whole egg with 2 egg whites or use ¼ cup egg substitute

Ø      Choose “light” or “heart healthy’ menu items when you eat out.

BP should be kept under 125 mmHg
  1. Keep blood pressure at a desirable level

Ø      Eat less salt (less than 1 teaspoon of salt or 2400mg sodium each day).

Ø      Count both hidden salt in prepared foods and salt added to foods at the table.