News Release Distributed 01/26/11

February is American Heart Month, and women throughout America will again wear red on the first Friday in February to raise awareness of heart disease.

National Wear Red Day is Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, and is part of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign that seeks to empower women to take charge of their heart health and live longer, stronger lives, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames.

“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both women and men,” Reames says.

Women and men respond differently to a heart attack, Reames adds. Women are less likely than men to believe they're having a heart attack and more likely to delay in seeking emergency treatment. In addition, women tend to be about 10 years older than men when they have a heart attack. They also are more likely to have other conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.

Reames offers these suggestions to keep your heart healthy:

– Eat a variety of nutritious foods, including grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, beans and milk.

“Although you may be eating plenty of food, your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy,” Reames says. “Make smart choices by choosing nutrient-rich foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products, that have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

– Eat vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, and they’re low in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control weight and blood pressure, too.

– Choose whole grains. Unrefined, whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower blood cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help you manage your weight.

– Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (for example, salmon, trout and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease.

– Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated fat or trans fat.

– Select fat-free, 1 percent fat and low-fat dairy products.

– Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet. Trans fats raise bad blood cholesterol levels.

– Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day.

– Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.

– Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

– Maintain a healthy weight.

“The number of calories you need each day is based on your age, physical activity level and whether you're trying to gain, lose or maintain your weight,” Reames says. “Limit foods and beverages high in calories but low in nutrients. Read food labels carefully – the Nutrition Facts panel will tell you how much of those nutrients each food or beverage contains – and keep an eye on portion sizes.”

– Aim for at least two and one-half hours a week (30 minutes a day) of moderate physical activity. Walking briskly, water aerobics, ballroom dancing and general gardening are examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities.

“Regular physical activity can help you maintain your weight, keep off weight that you lose and help you reach physical and cardiovascular fitness,” Reames says. “If you can’t do at least 30 minutes at one time, you can add up 10-minute sessions throughout the day.”

– If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation – one drink per day if you’re a woman and two drinks per day if you’re a man.

Rick Bogren