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Weight Control and Heart Disease
Weight Control and Heart DiseaseBeing overweight puts a great amount of stress on your heart.Carrying around extra weight makes your heart work harder and puts pressure on your blood vessels.And being overweight can increase your blood pressure, cholesterol, and raises your risk for diabetes.When you have a history of heart disease, weight management is one of the most important things you can doto help lower risk for future heart problems.Work with your healthcare provider to manage your weight.You’ll set goals to choose healthier foods and increase your activity to help you lose weight and keep it off.Everyone can eat healthier.Everyone can make good food choices. Some quick tips for healthy choices may include a broader selection offruits and vegetables, and whole grains.You can also switch to dairy free or low-fat dairy products, or lean low sodium products.And don’t forget nitrate free meats.Nitrates are known to contribute to cancers and elevations in blood pressures. They are a preservative that isfound in commercially packaged meat, so try to avoid or limit these foods.Other recommendations include cutting out soda drinks and other hard to process high sugar drinks.Read the food label when you are at the grocery store.Pick foods with less saturated fats, sugar, sodium and calories.Your healthcare provider might also recommend you meet with a registered dietitian to help you identify yourgoals to eat healthier and help you come up with a plan to reach those goals.Getting more physical activity is the other half of the battle when it comes to weight loss. Being physicallyactive 40 minutes per day most days of the week is the goal.Start slowly and increase your activity as you strive for that goal.Talk to your healthcare provider or a trainer before you start your program. They can help you to figure out thebest way for you to get into a routine, and stay in that routine for the long term.Physical activity doesn’t just have to be time spent in the gym.Look for ways to get more steps in your daily activities.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10250C EN WeightControlAndHeartDisease.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 1 of 2Weight Control and Heart DiseaseTake the stairs. Go on a hike. Take the dog for a walk.As you start to increase your activity at the gym or around the house, make sure to start slowly. Don’t try to dotoo much too soon. This will probably lead to soreness or injury. Start slow and aim to increase your activityeach week.Some people find logging their food and activity helps them to stay on track. Share this information with yourhealthcare team so you can safely work toward your goals. There are many websites or apps out there onyour computer or smart phone to help you.Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is hard, but something you need to do to reduce your heartdisease risk factors.Some people might need to use other tools such as weight loss surgery or medication to help them reach theirgoals.Talk to your healthcare provider if these options could help you.By selecting better quality food, increasing activity, and managing blood pressure, you can improve your hearthealth, and feel better overall.This program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.PRG10250C EN WeightControlAndHeartDisease.pdf© The Wellness NetworkPage 2 of 2
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