Get moving
Exercise is one of the best preventative measures against illness. It helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and it also helps control diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure. It may also lower the risk of certain types of cancer.
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Although South Carolina’s top five killers are most often diagnosed in people over the age of 55, all ages should take heed. The underlying physiological changes may begin one or two decades before the first symptoms manifest. People in their mid 30s and 40s should realize that the choices they make today will have substantial ramifications on their quality of life down the road. Here are eight steps you can take today to improve your health and reduce your risk:
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1. Stop smoking. Although smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory illnesses like COPD, many smokers find it hard to quit. For help kicking the tobacco habit, call the S.C. Tobacco Quitline (800-QUIT-NOW or 800-784-8669), a service sponsoredby DHEC. It’s open seven days a week. Callers without health insurance who enroll in Quitline services may be eligible to receive free nicotine gum or patches.
2. Control your blood pressure. Ask your doctor for a blood-pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure is higher than normal or if you have a history of heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is below 120 systolic and 80 diastolic.
3. Check your cholesterol. Ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test when you’re in your 20s, and retest at least every five years. Pay close attention to the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) reading. LDL is commonly called the “bad” cholesterol, because it can clog arteries and increase your risk for heart disease. Anything above 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) is considered high in a healthy person. If you have other risk factors for heart disease, your target LDL is below 100 mg/dl, and if you’re at very high risk of heart disease—if you’ve already had a heart attack or have diabetes, for example—your target LDL level is below 70 mg/dl.Your doctor will also examine the levels of triglycerides in your bloodstream. Triglycerides are another type of fat that can also increase your risk of heart disease. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly “easy” calories like carbohydrates and fats, you may have high triglycerides. Any reading greater than 150 mg/dl is considered high.
4. Keep diabetes under control. If you have diabetes, maintaining a healthy weight, together with tight blood-sugar control, can help slow progression of the disease and reduce the risk of heart disease, too. Several nonprofit groups, including the South Carolina Diabetes Prevention and Control Program and the Diabetes Initiative of South Carolina, are working together to promote diabetes prevention. A list of the participating coalitions can be found on DHEC’s website.
5. Get moving. Exercise is one of the best preventive measures against illness, period. It helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and it also helps control diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure. It may also lower the risk of certain types of cancer. With your doctor’s approval, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. If you can’t make time for one 30- to 60-minute exercise session, you can still benefit from several 10-minute sessions.
6. Eat healthy foods. A diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains—and one that is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium—can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
7. Avoid “belly fat.” Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. However, weight loss is especially important for people who have large waist measurements—more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women—because people with this body shape are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease.
8. Combat chronic stress. Chronic stress is a particular kind of stress that the body is not built to handle. It is often caused by our contemporary lifestyle, such as high-pressure jobs, financial anxiety, and loneliness or bad marriages. There are a wide range of stress management techniques available, from breathing exercises to music therapy and yoga. Find one that works for you and use it.
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