By: Summer Stafford
Wild West District
Family and Community Wellness Agent
“How to slow aging
The “Essential 8,” based on guidance from the heart association:
- Eat better. Consume a diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy protein sources, and minimally processed foods. Cut back on salt and alcohol and avoid added sugars.
- Be more active. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week and two days a week of moderate to high-intensity muscle strengthening.
- Quit tobacco. Smoking is the most preventable cause of premature death in the U.S.
- Get a healthy amount of sleep. Try to get an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
- Manage your weight. Strive for normal weight, which is defined as a body mass index between 18.5 and 25.
- Control cholesterol levels. For most adults, an LDL (“bad” cholesterol) level of less than 100 is recommended. For people at high risk, an LDL level of less than 70 is recommended.
- Manage blood sugar. The healthy range for fasting blood sugar is lower than 100 mg/dL, while 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates an increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.
- Manage blood pressure. A systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg and a diastolic reading of less than 80 mm Hg is the healthiest.
If you’d like to take the initiative of engaging in your own personal health, try joining our Wild West District’s Community Health Challenge. More information at facebook.com/wildwestdistrict
Source: NBCNews.com Learn more here>>> https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/slow-your-biological-age-report-explains-how-rcna123594“
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