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| Good morning! Its Heart Health Month and a good time to review how what you eat influences your heart health. We connected with Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist at National Jewish Health in Denver for his insights on how nutrition plays a role in helping control your weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure. WWAD: The Grand Canyon Adventure was inspired by the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to make controlling high blood pressure a national priority. How serious of a problem is it in the United States? DR. FREEMAN: We need to pay attention to this. Nearly half of all U.S. adults have high blood pressure, and only about 1 in 4 of those individuals has their blood pressure under control. It is a major preventable risk factor for heart disease and stroke so I’m glad we are talking about this to build awareness and get people thinking about ways to make meaningful lifestyle changes to lower your heart disease risk. WWAD: Great. Let’s make sure we understand what it means to have high blood pressure. Can you explain? DR. FREEMAN: Yes. High Blood pressure is when the pressure in your arteries is elevated. The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Many times, there are ZERO symptoms with high blood pressure. Many people don’t even know they have it. So, it’s important to check it regularly. WWAD: We have heard you say eating healthy foods is an investment you can make every single day to prevent heart disease. Can you elaborate on how nutrition impacts heart health? DR. FREEMAN: Yes! Nutrition can play a beneficial role in how you manage blood pressure. For example, it is recommended that we eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Dietary fiber from fruit, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. It is fitting and appreciated that Fresh Avocados – Love One Today’s supports the Grand Canyon Adventure and our response to the Surgeon General’s call to action to make controlling blood pressure a national priority. Fresh avocados are a good source of fiber and are a great way to add variety to the diet. Personally, one of my favorite ways to enjoy avocado is spread on 100% whole grain toast with everything bagel seasoning! For more inspiration, visit LoveOneToday.com/WWAD. |
| Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. David, Rachael, Bryan and Orellewww.walkwithadoc.org | The CDC reports that 80% of premature heart disease and strokes are preventable. We’ve teamed up with @LoveOneToday to get the word out about risk factors and how exercise and nutrition can help. HCPs check this resource out. #LoveOneToday |