If one of your parents had to
have heart disease, which would it be? What a horrible question! When you look
at statistics from the American Heart Association, though, 48% of American
adults have cardiovascular disease. It is the number one cause of death in the
US, and stroke takes fifth place. While I am still fortunate enough to have
both parents, I can’t say the same about my grandparents. Before the end of my
first semester in college, three of my grandparents had succumbed to heart
attacks. When I saw this family pattern and learned ways to “get heart healthy,”
it was a no-brainer for me.
Although I have always been an athlete,
staying fit was no longer something to do for fun, it was necessary for
survival. I took a PE class every semester in college (which also helped my
GPA, lol), and I also took advantage of the free exercise classes at the student
rec center. Before graduating from college, I met my now-husband, who is a US
Marine and former competitive body builder. We started running and training together,
and I have been hooked ever since. He also started me on the path of healthy
eating, and I self-taught (via reading) from there. I cannot imagine life out
of shape or out of the gym.
Every February, the American
Heart Association uses the month to raise funds and awareness for “Heart Month.”
It is a special cause to me because I want to tell people how heart disease stole
my grandparents from my family, and how one can possibly prolong their lives by “getting
heart healthy.” Throughout the month, I will blog about each of my grandparents
and a special friend who fell victim to this number one killer.
Reference Article above ^^^
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