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Wear red on World Heart Day

Show the world how much you love your heart by wearing red on World Heart Day, Sunday the 26th of September. And telling at least five people how to take care of their hearts…using heart as an acronym:

Heart healthy meals – look out for the Heart Mark!
Exercise
Annual health checks i.e. blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol
Reduce salt and fat intake
Toss out the cigarettes


Here are some more heart smart tips from the Heart and Stroke Foundation SA:

  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet including a variety of foods.
  • Eat smaller, more regular meals.
  • Choose the Heart Mark! When shopping, look out for products bearing the Heart Mark logo as these are heart healthier food choices i.e. lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar and often higher in fibre.
  • Include at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
  • Try to include fatty fish as part of your diet at least twice a week.
  • Limit the intake of red meat to two to three times per week.
  • Eat fats sparingly, limiting 'bad' fats and including more 'good' fats in your diet.
  • Limit your daily intake of foods high in cholesterol such as egg yolks, organ meats, calamari, shrimps and prawns.
  • Limit the intake of refined and sugary foods.
  • Have at least two servings of low fat milk/dairy products every day.
  • Use salt sparingly. Intake should be limited to one teaspoon a day (6g), remembering that processed foods also contain a lot of hidden salts.
  • If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Limit to one drink a day in women and two drinks a day in men.
  • Control your weight through regular physical activity - aim for 30 minutes five times a week.
  • Manage stress. High stress is often linked to cardiovascular events.
  • Quit smoking or don't even start.
  • Know your numbers i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI.

For more information on the HSFSA's activities during Heart Awareness Month, or heart health visit www.heartfoundation.co.za or for free heart smart advice, contact a Registered Dietician on the Heart Mark Diet Line on 0860 223 222.

(Health24, September 2010)

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