Know Your Numbers

Happy Friday!

Do you know most of your friends’ cell phone numbers by heart?  I don’t.

Do you know how many miles you drive in a week?  I don’t.

Do you know your fastest 5k or 10k race time?  I do.

Do you know the spread for this weekend’s Super Bowl?  I don’t.

Source: elderlyjournal.com

Do you know your Total Cholesterol, LDL (BAD) Cholesterol, HDL (GOOD) Cholesterol, Triglycerides, Blood Pressure, Fasting Glucose, BMI, and Waist Circumference?  I know mine!

The first step to being on the right path to heart-healthy living is knowing your numbers.  Have you and your DR. started tracking these numbers at an annual physical?

These numbers are important and so is exercise and diet, and no smoking!  Go Red for Women provides a breakdown of target/ideal numbers.

Did you know that for every point you raise your HDL (GOOD) cholesterol, you reduce your risk of coronary disease by 2%?  (Source)

Waist size is a predictor of heart disease risk…if your waist size is equal to or more than 35″ for women and 40″ for men, it increases risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.  (Source)  Waist size goes down, so do risks.  Waist size goes up, so do risks.

Source: methodsofhealing.com

This information may seem like a buzz kill on a Friday–especially leading up to the Super Bowl–but it’s important to know your numbers.  Talk to your DR, get a baseline, keep track, and make progress.

And maybe think about a few plant-strong treats for the weekend.  The folks over at The Engine 2 Diet have a great Plant Strong Super Bowl Recipe Guide.  

Questions:  Do you know your numbers?  Are you wearing red today?