Happy Monday!
February is Heart Health Month and whenever I think of heart health, I think of two important people in my life: My grandmother and my dad.
When I was growing up, my grandparents lived with us which was such a gift to me. Through my grandmother, I learned to love the kitchen, creating new dishes while turning left overs into delicious creations. Because of her, I am still a peasant at heart and save frugally every scrap of vegetable to make a stock or bits of fish or chicken to add to my salads. Little is wasted in my home…
Through my grandmother (and now my dad) I also got a first hand look at how arduous it can be to manage heart disease. By the time she was my age, my grandmother suffered several heart attacks and took fistfuls of pills every day to prevent another. Over time, heart disease turned into diabetes and hypothyroidism, and each came with it’s own cocktail of pills. She eventually learned to reduce fats and meats in her diet and increase the amount of vegetables and fruit but not before her meds made her lose her hair and her memory. Had she started earlier, it is likely that none of this would have happened. My dad, ever vigilant of every ache and pain, was on top of his condition early on and has thankfully been without serious incident.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world! While there is a genetic predisposition to this disease, it is also highly preventable. And one of the first places to begin making change is with your blood pressure.
Known as a silent killer because it has virtually no symptoms, hypertension is one of the leading causes of heart disease. If it goes untreated it can lead to heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.
In today’s video I am going to share with you 9 lifestyle habits that will help you begin to manage your blood pressure right away.
Once you’ve watched, I want to hear from you! Have you been diagnosed with high blood pressure? Did your doctor let you off with a warning and some advice on changing your diet? Did you go on meds right away? I’d love to hear what measures you took to manage your blood pressure.
As always, it is a privilege to be with you on Monday! I look forward to hearing your comments in the blog below.
Have a happy and healthy week!
xo
B