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HEART DISEASE AND STROKE If you didn't know, well now I'm telling you....HEART DISEASE is the number one killer of all Americans. It does not matter if you are white or black, young or old, male or female; HEART DISEASE kills more people than HIV/AIDS, motor vehicle accidents, homicide, diabetes, high blood pressure, sickle cell anemia, colon cancer, crack cocaine, and anything other disease you could think about. STROKES, which are in the family of heart disease, are the number three killer of all Americans and a major cause of disability and missed days of work in the United States. In fact, more than 100,000 Blacks have a stroke each year, and as many as 300,000 lives are affected annually by stroke. Blacks are twice as likely to have a stroke compared to whites. But this doesn’t have to continue. It's time for us to learn more about heart disease and strokes: their causes, how they can be prevented, their warning signs and risk factors, and what can be done to save the life of someone you love or even your own. So let's get it started. First, realize that stroke and heart disease are not inevitable. They don’t have to occur, and if you control certain risk factors, you can prevent a stroke. When you make healthy lifestyle choices consistently for yourself, your family, and your community, the incidences of stroke and heart disease killing our families will decrease. To put it bluntly, you are the Power To End Stroke and save lives. So, what should you look for and what are risk factors for stroke? Your age, family history, race, and gender are risk factors that we can not change or control. Let me explain: the older we get, the more likely we are to have a stroke. If you have a family history of stroke, especially a sibling, parent, or child who has had a stroke, your risk increases (these are called first-degree relatives). If you are Black, your risk is greater. Stroke is more common in men than in women, however, more women than men die of stroke. Let me say again that you can not changes those risk factors. However, risk factors like having high blood pressure, artery diseases, poor diet and nutrition, diabetes, or elevated cholesterol are controllable risk factors for stroke. Smoking cigarettes, abusing alcohol or drugs, and being physically inactive or obese can also be controlled to decrease your risk of a stroke. Those of you who live in a southern state, like I do, are in areas called the Stroke Belt because of the high incidences of stroke. But that, as well as your income level, are of little significance as risk factors for stroke or heart disease. Give some thought to these risks. If you are now realizing that you or your loved ones have more risk for strokes, start making lifestyle changes now. There are a number of things you can begin doing today. 1. Monitor your weight, blood pressure, and other important numbers such as blood sugar, hemoglobin A1C, cholesterol, and BMI. You may need to see your doctor on a regular basis in order to asses your risks.
2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Get out there and move. Turn on the radio and dance through five or six songs. Work in your garden. Mop, vacuum, sweep, clean windows, rake leaves, or push a lawn mower. Play football or basketball with your children. Ride bikes or shadowbox. Walk the mall, a nearby park, or the zoo. Do anything you can, within your own physical limitations, and get moving every day. This will strengthen your heart muscle, lower blood pressure, increase your good cholesterol, lower your bad cholesterol, promote weight loss and weight maintenance, improve back and joint pain, prevent osteoporosis, improve mood and self esteem and ultimately reducing your risk of having a stroke. The largest health benefits we are seeing is in people who go from doing nothing to doing something—so we have to get moving.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink lots of water, and cut back on transfats, cholesterol, and sodium. Eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet. For example, allow yourself one soda a day instead of the usual three. Also, eat breakfast. You’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it’s true because eating breakfast signals to your body that its time to start burning calories and producing energy, jumpstarting your metabolism. So make it a healthy jump start with a healthy breakfast and not one laced with sugars or caffeine. If you are not sure what to eat or need creative ideas to incorporate into your diet, talk with your doctor or see a nutritionist. Both Southern University and LSU’s Ag Centers have nutrition programs and specialists available to you for free—so get professional help.
4. Stay away from alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. If you don’t drink alcohol, smoke or do drugs, don’t start. If you drink alcohol, stay within the safe and recommended guidelines: no more than two drinks per day for men and no more than one drink per day for non-pregnant women. If you smoke are do drugs, stop completely.
This is a marathon not a sprint, so start today and begin to make changes to improve your life and that of everyone in your house. Remember you have the power to end stroke.
o Putting down cigarettes and stop smoking;
o Observing advice from your doctor and knowing your family’s medical history;
o Watching your weight and being physically active at least 30 minutes most days of the week;
o Eating healthfully, avoiding foods high in saturated, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium;
o Regulating and controlling high blood pressure and diabetes;
Let me give you more tools to help you learn: • Your family’s health history by using the Family Tree. It’s a free, online tool you can find at StrokeAssociation.org/power. Print it out and fill-in the names of your family members who may have the serious health conditions. Then share it with your family and encourage everyone to take it to a doctor or healthcare provider who can determine what you can do to reduce the risk of stroke for yourself and your family.
• Warning signs of stroke: visit StrokeAssociation.org/power or call 1-888-4-STROKE (1-888-478-7653).
• Nutrition guidelines: www.mypyramid.gov
Hip Hop Doc & BeBe Winans - Power to End Stroke Watch the Segment |
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