Pamper-U

Getting ready to blow out the candle. 

My dad just celebrated his 87th birthday. Pretty cool, huh? It's especially cool since he has gone through open heart surgery, had a heart valve replaced with a pig valve, wears a pacemaker and has many stents in his arteries. In his family of 12 siblings every one of them has had heart issues. You can bet that I'm always on the look-out for ways to keep my heart healthy.

I was happy to see that To Your Health has 5 ways to avoid a heart attack or stroke in their latest issue. Here are some ways to keep your heart healthy:

1. Exercise. I heard somewhere that you should sweat every day. Running sure makes me do this, especially these last hot and humid days. Even if you only are moving for 30 minutes it will help you maintain your weight and keep your heart healthy. It's a great habit to cultivate. I make it a priority!

2. Watch your diet. It really is easy to cut out fats and sugar. Not always fun, but it can be done. Adding in lots of fruits and veggies, cutting back on red meat, limiting alcohol and sodium. You can find a ton of delicious recipes on the internet. Everyday you should be eating foods of many different colors.

3. Quit smoking. 'Nuff said.

4. Control your blood pressure. This is so important to keep your heart healthy. Many times exercise and diet can help with this.

5. Have your cholesterol checked. Like high blood pressure, cholesterol can lead to a number of problems. Make sure to stay under the overall 200 mark and check with your doctor about your options if it goes past that number. There are some ways to lower this without medications.

I'm hoping if I work on these 5 that I will live to be at least 87 but without all of the surgeries and medications my dad has to take. (He is working on the above things too but for him it's trying to maintain whatever heart health he has.) Heredity plays a part in all of this too but I'm hoping it's just a small part.

How healthy do you think your heart is?