It is never too late to take care of your heart. The main risks to your heart are:
Being Overweight — So check your BMI.
Check Your Waist — Excess fat carried on your stomach increases the risk factor.
Blood Pressure — High blood pressure is a risk. The ideal healthy range is between 120/70 and 130/80.
Cholesterol — Ask your doctor to check your blood cholesterol. Don’t be afraid if the result comes back high, because there is plenty you can do to bring it down.
Lack of Exercise — Not taking any exercise at all puts your heart at risk.
Smoking — Creates a high risk factor in heart disease. Give it up for your heart.
Take a look at family history. If you have close relatives who have had heart disease, you want to do everything you can to reduce your own risk. If you are inactive and have a stressful job where you sit all day, you need to take exercise and steps to manage your stress levels. If you suffer from heart palpitations, you need to discuss this with your doctor.
Healthy Heart Action Plan
• Take regular exercise
• Always use the stairs for at least two floors.
• Reduce your intake of animal fats.
• Reduce fried food.
• Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
A Typical Healthy Eating Plan
• Breakfast — wholemeal toast spread with honey or mashed banana, and a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice.
• Mid-Morning — tea or coffee (without sugar) and a small bunch of grapes.
• Lunch — Brown pita bread filled with drained tuna and salad, fat free natural yoghurt, and orange juice.
• Mid-Afternoon — 2 biscuits.
• Supper — grilled fish, boiled rice, two portions of steamed vegetables or salad, followed by fresh fruit salad.
Exercise Hint
Rewards: Many people stick to their exercise routine better if they use incentives. Make a deal with yourself to treat yourself, and by that, I don’t mean indulging in a heavy meal. You’ll get extra motivation from the fact that you are going to “treat yourself”. A little reward is great way to keep yourself going.
Recipe of the Week
Chicken Italiano
Serves 6
Ingredients
230 g angel hair pasta
340 g boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
180 ml light Italian dressing
450 g frozen mixed vegetables
30 g grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)
Method
Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water 4-5 minutes until al dente. Drain. Set aside and keep warm. Combine chicken and 1/4 of the dressing in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté chicken 2 minutes, until lightly browned. Add vegetables and remaining dressing. Cover and simmer 7-9 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender, stirring frequently. Serve over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.
Ask Alva
I am a 16-year-old boy and my problem is that I have huge hips. I want to reduce them. When I walk, they stand out badly. It causes uneasiness to me. You earlier sent me your healthy eating diet but it wasn’t of any use. Please suggest some effective exercises or any remedy to reduce my hips. I really hope you can help me. Salman
It is very good to know that you want to take care of your health, but at your age it is important to follow not only a healthy diet, but regular exercise as well. It sounds to me as though you have perhaps experienced a weight problem for some time, and I really would urge you to try to exercise on a regular basis. If you feel embarrassed about the size of your hips, you probably feel unwilling to go to a gym, so you could begin a daily exercise program at home. It is much better to go for a program that exercises the whole body, rather than just a few that concentrate on a certain area, such as your hips, and so I would suggest that you begin by doing my Mini-morning Workout. As it is too much to describe here, please email me again at [email protected] and I will mail it to you. If you feel able to, you can do more repetitions than are mentioned in the workout. Alva
For all your weight concerns and questions e-mail Alva Carpenter at:
Selected letters will be replied to in this column.
