As the title of this blog post states it’s American Heart Month!!! This awareness month means a lot to me because my beloved grandmother who I affectionately called Big Ma had a heart attack when I was a teenager. I remember being in the waiting room while she had her triple bypass surgery and watching her recover from it post surgery. After the heart attack she intentionally changed her eating habits to prevent another heart attack. As a result of those changes she lived to see 96 years of age. I miss her so much! She was so special to me and such an inspiration to the work I do in health and wellness today.
As we approach the closing of this American Heart Month I want to remind you that Heart Disease is a silent killer and is the #1 cause of death in the United States. But did you know that heart disease prevention education and healthy lifestyle changes could help reduce your risk of getting heart disease up to 80%??? As a result I decided that I would make an appointment this month to see a cardiologist to get a preventative heart screening to check on my heart health. By God’s grace I don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes nor high cholesterol but because my bloodline has a history of heart disease I want to be sure that I’m doing my due diligence in getting screened and making sure I’m taking preventative steps to prevent the onset of heart disease. I didn’t even know there was a such screening until the Piedmont Health System here in Georgia sent out an email blast about it. My heart screening will include the following:
– Complete health history
– Family history, pregnancy history, depression scale, sleep evaluation and cardiac risk assessment.
– Physical exam
– Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)
– Extensive lab work
– Electrocardiogram (EKG)
– Heart health report
My appointment has been set and I can’t wait to go and get the results so I’ll know what further actions I need to take to prevent heart disease. According to the American Heart Association here are some quick heart disease and stroke prevention tips:
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/prevent-heart-disease-and-stroke
Let’s make a concerted and an intentional effort to spread the word about this and take the steps to prevent or intervene in the development of heart disease in our lives, our families’ lives and our communities’ lives. Spread the word and let’s practice intentional self-care together. Let’s not make this a one month event but a healthy lifestyle going forward. Are you with me???
Lastly during this American Heart Month please consider donating to help support my son Kharis in meeting his fundraising goal to benefit the American Heart Association to help them in their mission “to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.” We are doing this fundraiser in my grandmother’s honor. Click the American Heart Association Kid’s heart challenge picture/link below to donate today. No matter how big or small what you can give will help make a difference. Thanks for your support. ❤️🫀
Join me for my March Choosing Healthy self-care challenge by clicking the link below:
Click the link below to subscribe to my YouTube Channel today and follow my blog at www.monicaakerele.com Let’s get it!!!! ❤️
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Disclaimer: Always get your doctor’s approval before embarking upon a low card, ketogenic, intermittent fasting and/or any exercise regimen. This is not a substitute for professional medical, nutritional or exercise advice this is for motivational, informational and educational purposes only.
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