The lifestyle of the average American is unhealthy.
Poor choices in diet and physical neglect to our bodies put most of us in a situation we will regret later in life. Consider the infatuation we all have with bacon. Triple bacon burgers, bacon wrapped scallops, bacon dipped in chocolate, bacon flavored ice cream — it’s salty, fatty goodness; which, looking at the absurdity of this very sentence, reads like an oxymoron. Bacon is not good for us, but we want it nonetheless. Especially if that bacon is served atop a double cheeseburger.
Couple our choices in food with how stationary most of us are during our waking hours. Chances are, you are seated as you read this. Anatomically, the medical profession is saying our bodies are not designed to sit as we do all day. We sit eating breakfast, working behind our desk jobs, our 30-minute commute to and from work, and watching television to unwind from the day. Walking, let alone exercise of any kind, is seldom.
To say whether or not heart or vascular disease runs in the family would be misleading as we trudge through our daily routines. Poor life choices and lack of physical activity thrusts most of us into the risk category for heart attack or stroke.
February is American Hearth Month, and the American Heart Association (AHA) is launching their Go Red For Women campaign.
The AHA estimates 43 million American women are affected by cardiovascular disease. One in three women die as a result. The scariest figure is, 90 percent of woman have one or more risk factors.
The focus on women specifically is not necessarily meant to imply men are out of the woods. Men know all too well this is not the case.
The point is, for both men and women, is to take another look at the choices you make each day. You can cut down on fatty foods, you can get up and walk. Should you decide to purchase a pedometer, like a FitBit, Livestrong.com says that 10,000 steps a day would place you in an active lifestyle. Otherwise, try to pencil in 20-minutes a day of moderate aerobic exercise; double that amount if you wish to lose weight. Afterall, the AHA states 80 percent of all heart attacks and strokes could be prevented by taking better care of our bodies.
For more information, go to GoRedForWomen.org, and seek a doctor’s opinion before you start exercising.
