Know your numbers!

Know Your Numbers!

With Heart Health Month approaching, now is the time to schedule a check up with your doctor. When you have your blood work done, the optimal numbers to know are your:

• LDL Cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol)- Ideal is below 100 mg/dL which is low risk for Heart Disease. From 100-129 mg/dL is average risk, and anything above 130 is HIGH risk for Heart Disease. Remember - LOWER IS BETTER
• HDL Cholesterol (Good Cholesterol) - Ideal is Greater than 50 mg/dL. Less than 50 is Moderate to High Risk Heart disease. HIGHER IS BETTER.
• Triglycerides - Below 150 mg/dL is ideal
• Total Cholesterol - Less than 200 mg/dL is ideal
• Blood Glucose - Fasting Levels should be below 100mg/dL. Over 126 mg/dL and you need to talk to your doctor about being diabetic or pre-diabetic and see what changes you need to make!
• Blood Pressure - Normal is 120/80. Your doctor can advise you on how often to check this.
• Weight - ask your doctor if you are in a healthy range for your body type, but know the number and know what range your should be in so you can work to get there.
• BMI - 18.5-24.9 is healthy, 25-29.9 is overweight, 30+ is obese.

I encourage you to be vigilant in following up with your doctor in getting your test results. Have this chart handy when you get the results so you can compare your numbers. If you are outside of the ideal ranges, ASK QUESTIONS. You need to establish a plan of treatment with your doctor, and follow up. Make any necessary diet, exercise, and medication changes you need and get your numbers re-checked as advised to make sure they are staying within the ideal ranges.

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Love your aorta, heart month is approaching

It is the start of a new year, and many people have made resolutions to get healthier, which is so great! In addition, February is American Heart Month, and this is the perfect time to start thinking about how healthy your heart is. 

Nick and I both come from families with a medical history of heart conditions. With three small children, that makes it all the more important to keep an eye on our hearts. We both go for regular check ups and try to eat a heart friendly diet, while getting some physical exercise. Nick requires medication to manage his blood pressure and cholesterol, as do many other people in our extended family. Since his dad passed from a stroke, my grandfather has had bypass surgery, and my other grandfather passed from a heart condition, we have seen what can happen.

I encourage each of you to get a check up and know your numbers. That is critical. You need to know where they are (and get treatment if they aren't in the normal range) and monitor them so you can seek treatment if they go outside the normal range. 

Exercise. As someone with chronic pain, I know how hard this can be, but I do make an effort to get moving for at least 30 minutes each day. Walking is something that most of us can do that can really make a difference.

Educate yourself. Know the main parts of the heart and how they work. Should you or a family member face an issue, such as an aorta aneurysm, stroke, heart attack, etc. it will help if you are educated on heart health. When the doctor or specialist is discussing what is going on, you will be better prepared to understand the terminology, and not rush to the internet in a panic, when all you can really comprehend at that point is all of the negative things that can be going on. Educate when you are calm, that should help you later, should you need to research, to hopefully be looking at ALL of the information, not just worse case scenarios.

Learn to make a list of questions for your doctor. When you are in the middle of an appointment, and may feel rushed, it will prevent you from forgetting to ask what may be a life saving question.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.

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