Inspira Health Network

A Stronger, Healthier Beat on track. Start your trip at the grocery store in the produce section, and plan meals around those nutrient-rich foods. Choose proteins wisely — select lean meats or other sources such as beans and nuts. Avoid processed foods and those that are high in sodium, cholesterol and fat. "I recommend eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids to help Learn the building blocks of a well-balanced diet to get your health reduce triglyceride levels and increasing soluble fiber consumption to help lower bad cholesterol, at South Jersey Healthcare Fitness Connection. "Once you learn the key points of nutrition, such as portion control and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake, it becomes part of a daily routine. " " said Margaret Brooks, registered dietitian Fitness Eating healthfully is only one aspect of overall health. Regular exercise and stress reduction both greatly improve heart health and decrease risk factors. Read on to learn more about all of these aspects of maintaining a healthy heart. Shaping Up Your Heart Cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, allowing it to pump Diet more blood throughout your body and thereby increasing your oxygen levels. It also lowers blood pressure, burns fat and relieves stress. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of exercise and two muscle-strengthening workouts per week for optimal health. "If your physician has cleared you for exercise, take steps to work- out consistently," said Brian Archut, certified personal trainer and sports nutritional consultant at SJH Fitness Connection. "Whether walking 30 minutes every weekday aſternoon or attending a class at a qualified fitness center, exercise can be an enjoyable part of your day. Understanding Your Stress Response Stress comes from many directions, such as work, home, relation- ships, aging, and daily nuisances like driving and dealing with small irritations. Each time our body reacts with the "fight-or-flight" response, which means we go on high alert — blood pressure and heart rate rise, muscles tighten and hormones surge, shutting down certain functions to take care of the perceived "danger. into balance. "Repeated stress eventually affects our sleep quality, weakens our " Time aſter time, we bounce back immune systems, breaks down our digestive systems and causes nega- tive mental states, and thus, over time, increases the chance of heart disease, program coordinator at SJH Fitness Connection. "Stress is unavoid- able, but can be controlled and/or managed with different techniques such as regular exercise, practicing yoga and relaxation, learning to meditate, and focusing on positive thoughts." " said Kamilla Stenstrom, M.S., exercise specialist and seniors DOES YOUR HEART NEED HELP? VISIT www.SJHealthcare.net/FandF TO FIND A PHYSICIAN AT SJH. SJH Family & Friends SJH Family & Friends SPRING 2012 7 Awareness "

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