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Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Warning Signs of a Stroke
Risk Factors of Heart Disease
Risk Factors That Can Be Changed
Risk Factors That Can Be Treated/Controlled
Heart Healthy Cooking
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Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

If you think you're having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 or your emergency medical system immediately.

The key to surviving a heart attack is promptly recognizing the warning signals and getting immediate medical attention.

If you feel an uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of your chest (that may spread to your shoulders, neck or arms) and your discomfort lasts for two minutes or longer, you could be having a heart attack.

Sweating, dizziness, fainting, nausea, a feeling of severe indigestion, or shortness of breath may also occur, although not all symptoms do necessarily occur.

When a person has these symptoms, it is natural for him or her to deny what is happening. No one wants to think that he might be having a heart attack. It is important to know that over 300,000 heart attack victims died before reaching the hospital last year, many of them because they refused to take their symptoms seriously.

What should you do if you think you might be having a heart attack?

Call your local emergency medical service (EMS) immediately. If the EMS isn't available, get to the hospital Emergency Room as soon as possible.

There is evidence that taking aspirin very early in the course of a heart attack may help reduce its severity.

Warning Signs of Stroke

The warning signs of stroke are:

• Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm and leg on one side of the body.
• Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech.
• Dimness or loss of vision, particularly in only one eye.
• Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls.
• "Temporary strokes" (transient ischemic attacks or TIAs). These can occur days, weeks or even months before a major stroke. TIAs result when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery and part of the brain does not get the supply of blood it needs. The symptoms occur rapidly and last a relatively short period of time, usually from a few minutes to several hours. The usual symptoms are like those of a full-fledged stroke, except that the symptoms of a TIA are temporary, lasting 24 hours or less. In fact, people who have had TIAs are 9.5 times more likely to have a stroke than people of the same age and sex who have not had a TIA.

Risk Factors of Heart Disease

Risk Factors that Cannot Be Changed

• Increasing age
• Heredity
• Gender

Risk Factors that Can Be Changed

• Smoking (take our quiz - link to quiz)
• Physical inactivity
• Obesity and overweight (calculate your ideal weight - link to calculator)

Risk Factors that Can Be Treated/Controlled

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels (take our quiz - link to quiz)
• Diabetes mellitus

Heart-Healthy Cooking

Meat, Poultry, and Fish

• Choose lean meat. Look for USDA select or choice grades of lean beef such as round steak, sirloin tip, tenderloin, and extra lean ground beef.
• Avoid "prime" grade meat, they are high in saturated fat.
• Trim fat from meat: remove the skin and fat from poultry.
• Avoid liver, brains, and kidney, they are high in cholesterol.
• If you buy ground beef, it should contain no more than 15% fat or choose ground round which is typically very lean.
• If you buy tuna or other canned fish select ones packed in water. Rinse the fish in a strainer before cooking to decrease the sodium content.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Choose fresh fruits and vegetables instead of canned.
• If you must purchase canned rinse them with water to reduce the salt (from vegetables) and sugar (from fruits).
• Roasting vegetables in a hot oven will caramelize their natural sugars and bring out their full flavor.

Cooking Suggestions

• Bake, broil, microwave, poach, or roast instead of frying.
• When you do fry use a nonstick pan and nonstick cooking spray or a small amount of oil (canola or olive oil are the best choices).
• Use fresh herbs whenever possible. This will add flavor without adding fat.
• Add dry herbs such as thyme, rosemary and marjoram to add flavor.
• Use a food processor to grate fresh horseradish instead of canned, it has a stronger flavor with out the salt.
• Add fresh peppers too your dishes for extra flavor.
• Use dry mustard for a zesty flavor in cooking or mix it with water to make a very sharp condiment.
• Use vinegar or citrus juice for a wonderful flavor-enhancer, but add it at the last moment.
Vinegar is great on vegetables such as greens, and citrus works well on fruits such as melons. Either is great with fish.
• Toast seeds, nuts and whole spices to bring out their full flavor. Cook them in a dry skillet over moderate heat or on a baking sheet in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven.

Tips for Eating Out

• Don't go to a restaurant feeling starved, you are more likely to over eat.
• Ask about ingredients or preparation methods for the dishes you're not familiar with.
• Avoid all you can eat buffets.
• Substitute low-fat foods for high-fat ones. For example, ask for steamed vegetables in place of French fries or fresh fruit salad in place of coleslaw.
• Order a child's portion or an appetizer as your main course.
• If everything on the menu is high in fat, ask the server whether the chef could prepare a fruit or vegetable platter for you.
• If the portions are large ask for a doggie bag and eat the remainder of your meal the next day.
• Ask the chef to remove the skin from poultry, or remove it yourself at the table.
• Eat slowly, you are less likely to overeat.
• Order all dressings and sauces on the side. Use them sparingly or not at all.
• Ask the server to have your food prepared without butter or cream sauces.
• Order vegetable side dishes and ask the server to leave off any sauces or butter.
• Be selective at salad bars and choose fresh greens, raw vegetables, fresh fruits, garbanzo beans and low-fat dressing. Avoid cheeses, marinated salads, pasta salads and fruit salads with whipped cream.
• Order foods that are steamed, broiled, grilled, stir-fried or roasted. Or ask the chef to prepare the food with very little butter or oil or none at all.
• Order potatoes baked, boiled or roasted - not fried. Ask the server to leave off the butter and sour cream. Try salsa or pepper and chives instead.
• For dessert, check the menu to see whether the restaurant offers low-fat dishes. If none are available order fresh fruit or sorbet.