One of the bright spots that I am praying for that is coming out of the Coronavirus public response is people are doing something for their health. This may be a fear-based reactionary response, but I am praying that, for some, it is the beginning of understanding that they can have some control in regards to their health. People have sacrificed freedom to stay well and to keep others well. Whether you agree with the response or the premise of the stay at home orders, it could be the beginning of people paying attention to their health.
The number one killer in the USA is heart disease. It is the leading cause of death for women and men. About 647,000 people die every year from heart disease. That is nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths. I know we think of it as an “old person” disease, but 18.2 million people from 18-20 have Coronary Artery Disease, which is the most common cause of death within the heart disease category. The major risk factors of the disease are mostly preventable. Yes, I said preventable. High blood pressure tops the list, and it is nearly 100% preventable. Smoking is in the top 3, and it is preventable. Some other preventable things are being overweight, type 2 diabetes, sedentary lifestyle and eating poorly. The good news is these are preventable!
The question that I want to ask is, will you prevent heart disease from taking root in your body? I will tell you that the government is not going to help you much. They are going to continue to allow the food industry to give you bad food products that will bring about heart disease if you regularly consume them. Don’t expect the fast-food industry to get sanctioned either. In fact, they may give you misinformation like fat is bad. The sugar industry loved it, but low-fat diets didn’t help the growing statistics of heart disease. So what are you going to have to do? Govern your own life.
I would submit that you are putting up with some major inconveniences right now because of the Coronavirus. You have altered the way you live. You can do the same for heart disease! You have that kind of power. This blog is not a knock on how we have handled the Coronavirus. I am trying to find the light in it, and one of the rays of light is that you have learned that you can alter your life and live better and longer for it. You can reduce your chances of heart disease down to infinitesimal. How exactly? People have written books on the subject, but here are a few things.
- Reduce your sugar and sweetener intake drastically
- Eat over four servings of vegetables every day – Base your eating around vegetables and not proteins
- Exercise and attain a good fitness level
- Shed the extra pounds
- Reduce stress
- Get plenty of sleep
- Cut back on the alcohol
You can do whatever you purpose to do. When you make your mind up, you will spring into action. This is a long race my friends. It is your race to run. Run in such a way as to win the prize. In this case, make coronary heart disease a loser in your life. Win the battle. It is doable!