By Teresa Carr
Adams County Senior Council
All-County Senior Citizens Day in May will be here before we know it and we are reaching out for nominations for Adams County Outstanding Senior Citizen and Outstanding Senior Veteran for 2026, individuals should be at least 60 years of age or over. If you would like to nominate someone for either category, please submit a letter stating their name, why they are outstanding and details about his/her service(s) to the community. Nominations need to be submitted to our agency no later than March 20. Thank you.
From Go4Life – Exercising with Heart Disease: – Exercise is safe for almost everyone. In fact, studies show that people with arthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease benefit from regular exercise and physical activity. In some cases, exercise actually can improve some of these conditions. You may want to talk with your doctor about how your health condition might affect your ability to be active.
To keep your heart healthy, be more physically active. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most or all days of the week. It doesn’t have to be done all at once—10-minute periods will do. Other important ways to take care of your heart:
· If you smoke, quit. It’s never too late to get some benefit from quitting smoking.
· Follow a heart-healthy diet. Choose low-fat foods and those that are low in salt. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and foods high in fiber.
· Keep a healthy weight. Your healthcare provider can check your weight and height to learn your BMI (body mass index). A BMI of 25 or higher means you are at risk for heart disease, as well as diabetes and other health conditions.
February is Heart month for more than just Valentine’s Day. Here is some information about how you can prevent heart disease:
Change What You Can for a Healthy Heart – The best way to have a healthy heart is to reduce the risk factors that are controllable. Encourage a diet, exercise, and weight-loss program that works for the person.
• Exercise – A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that a sedentary lifestyle is worse for your health than smoking, diabetes and heart disease. Being unfit should be treated almost as a disease that has a prescription—called exercise.
• Medication – Fill prescriptions on time (to avoid running out) and take medication exactly as directed.
• Blood Pressure – Monitor blood pressure on a daily basis if ordered by the doctor.
• Cholesterol – Cholesterol is a major factor in coronary artery disease. High cholesterol numbers may be reduced through appropriate diet, regular exercise, and weight loss and— cholesterol-lowering drugs.
• Salt (Sodium) Consumption – When an individual consumes too much sodium, extra fluid builds up in the body, which causes the heart to work harder.
• Diabetes – People with diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop heart failure as people without diabetes.
• Depression – People with heart disease have depression at much higher rates than the general public. One important reason to treat depression is that it is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Smoking and Alcohol Abuse – Cigarette smoking is a major, preventable risk factor for heart disease. The nicotine and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduce the oxygen in a person’s blood, so smoking robs the heart of oxygen. Second-hand smoke is just as dangerous as first-hand smoke; therefore, if you smoke, get help to quit NOW!
• Alcohol – Can damage the cells of the heart and make it harder for the heart to pump. Therefore, people with heart failure are advised to quit drinking alcohol.
Just A Thought: “Don’t feed your heart anxiety – it’s only hungry for love.” ~ Terri Guillemets, pen name of the creator of The Quote Garden website: quotegarden.com
