HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR HEART?
September is Heart Awareness Month 2015
TESTING WILL BE DONE 1 SEPTEMBER IN THE FALSE BAY TENT
5PM – 8PM
Spring brings with it not only a promise of warmer weather, but also a renewed focus on heart disease. Diseases of the heart and the blood vessels – called cardiovascular disease – is the leading cause of death worldwide, and second only to HIV/AIDS in South Africa. September is dedicated to awareness around heart disease, which includes awareness of the risk factors and motivating for better lifestyle choices to prevent it.
For 2015 the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa have titled their campaign “Have Heart, show you care…”. This is a call to all South Africans to get involved. The campaign has a two-step goal, firstly to encourage people to get their blood pressure and blood sugar tested, and secondly to motivate us to make changes towards a heart healthy lifestyle.
Spring is about starting fresh and cleaning out the old. Spring cleaning for your heart means asking where you are now, what is the current state of affairs.
The biggest risk factors for heart disease include a high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Dr Mungal-Singh, the foundation’s CEO and vice president of the World Heart Federation says “Scarily, more than 1 in 3 adults in South Africa live with high blood pressure. Even more worrying, most people are completely unaware that they are sitting on this ticking time bomb!”
Do you know your blood pressure?
Is it 113 over 69, or maybe 132 over 84? If you don’t know, it’s time to find out!
Dis-chem pharmacies have joined the 2015 campaign, and anybody can get their blood pressure and blood sugar tested for FREE during September. By knowing these important numbers you have taken your very first step to a healthier heart.
Apart from getting tested, a healthy lifestyle is at the heart of preventing this disease. This means simply three things. Eat better, move more, and don’t smoke. What does ‘eat better’ mean? It’s as easy as getting back to the basics. Eat more of the good stuff like fresh fruits and veggies. Eat the right amount to keep your weight on track, and lastly, eat fewer foods that contains extra sugar, bad fats and salt. This means foods like sugary drinks, deep fried take-outs, sweet treats, and salty seasonings. Making changes to a healthier lifestyle will benefit you and your family. If you want to find out more on how to do this, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website at www.heartfoundation.co.za.
The message is simple: show you care for yourself, for you family, and South Africa.
Have Heart – Get Tested, Have Heart - Live Healthy