LBL Goes Red on Feb. 20 for American Heart Month!
Join the Health Services team on Tuesday, Feb. 20, in wearing red to celebrate Heart Health Month. Visit us in the Building 91 Parking lot near the food trucks from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to chat with one of our nurses or nurse practitioners, and grab healthy snacks and giveaways!
We can help keep our blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar within normal limits, and lower our risk for heart disease by living a healthy lifestyle. Eating a healthy balanced diet, physical exercise, and reducing stress are great ways to protect our heart health.
Heart-healthy foods include those high in fiber and low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol. Limiting salt, sugar, and alcohol intake in our diets are other ways of lowering the risk of heart disease. These actions can help prevent high cholesterol, help lower blood pressure, and keep our blood sugar levels and body weight within normal limits. Maintaining a healthy weight lowers our risk for heart disease. Extra weight can put additional stress on the heart and blood vessels. To determine if your weight is healthy, you can calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) at the CDC’s Assessing Your Weight website.
Engaging in physical activity and exercise can burn calories, lower blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar, as well as improve mood and sleep quality to help reduce stress. According to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,
adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week and two days of muscle-strengthening activity. So take advantage of this beautiful campus and take a brisk 30-minute walk during lunch.
Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease. If you do smoke, stopping smoking will lower your risk for heart disease. Speak with your primary care physician or the Lab’s Health Services for help with smoking cessation. You can make an appointment at Health Services for tobacco treatment, or for a list of smoking cessation resources, go to:
High blood pressure often has no symptoms, therefore regular blood pressure checks are important. Here at Health Services, we offer blood pressure checks in honor of American Heart Month and throughout the year. Call us at (510) 486-6266 to schedule your appointment today!
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