Monday, February 18, 2008
February is Heart Month
February is Heart month and not just in the Valentine's day aspect. Our heart is a very important piece of equipment. Just like the motor of your car, if the heart goes, all goes.
Even if you don't have genetic risk factors, the lifestyle choices you make account for about fifty percent of the health of your heart.
Fast food is one of the worst culprits when it comes to heart health. Fast food is fat food of the worst kind and is probably responsible for the ever growing cases of obesity. If you are a woman, around 1800 to 2000 calories a day is just about right, with no more than 65 gr of fat daily. Healthier recommendations put the grams of fat at no more than 40 to 50 a way, while Dr. Ornish's heart health program limits fats to something like 10 to20 gr of fat daily.
I don't often eat fast food, but once a year or so I indulge in a fry from McD, or a hamburg from Harvey's or a quarter chicken from a well known rotisserie. I was appaled last week when I learned that my quarter chicken meal contained more than 1200 calories and 74 gr of fat. This is two-thirds of my daily calorie intake and more than a full day's fat intake.
If you do just one think for your heart: stop eating out and definitely cut out junk fast food. The upside of eating at home more often is you will save a lot of money to travel during all those years you will add to your life.
Marguerite Tennier, M.A.
Wild Wellness and Confidence
www.eftottawa.com
www.canadascoach.com
Even if you don't have genetic risk factors, the lifestyle choices you make account for about fifty percent of the health of your heart.
Fast food is one of the worst culprits when it comes to heart health. Fast food is fat food of the worst kind and is probably responsible for the ever growing cases of obesity. If you are a woman, around 1800 to 2000 calories a day is just about right, with no more than 65 gr of fat daily. Healthier recommendations put the grams of fat at no more than 40 to 50 a way, while Dr. Ornish's heart health program limits fats to something like 10 to20 gr of fat daily.
I don't often eat fast food, but once a year or so I indulge in a fry from McD, or a hamburg from Harvey's or a quarter chicken from a well known rotisserie. I was appaled last week when I learned that my quarter chicken meal contained more than 1200 calories and 74 gr of fat. This is two-thirds of my daily calorie intake and more than a full day's fat intake.
If you do just one think for your heart: stop eating out and definitely cut out junk fast food. The upside of eating at home more often is you will save a lot of money to travel during all those years you will add to your life.
Marguerite Tennier, M.A.
Wild Wellness and Confidence
www.eftottawa.com
www.canadascoach.com
