The best gift to give your loved ones is to take care of your heart health
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
When you think of hearts in February, you probably think about greeting cards with messages of love. It’s always a good idea to shower our loved ones with heartfelt words of appreciation and affection.
Focusing on pouring out your agape, let’s give some of that love to your physical heart health, so you can be well and continue to serve your loved ones well.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), sometimes called Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), is the most common type of heart disease – the leading cause of death in both men and women in the U.S. It’s caused when arteries are blocked by cholesterol and
fatty material, called plaque, that can build up. This makes it hard for blood to flow to the heart and can cause a heart attack.
Several things can lead to plaque build-up:
- Too much cholesterol in the blood.
- High blood pressure.
- Smoking.
- Too much sugar in the blood because of diabetes.
But there’s a lot you can do to prevent heart disease:
- ✓ Eat a heart healthy diet.
- ✓ Get active.
- ✓ Quit smoking.
- ✓ Maintain a healthy weight.
- ✓ Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- ✓ Drink alcohol only in moderation.
- ✓ Manage stress.