Holly Hartzler gives lions heart

“Cancer has surpassed heart disease as the number on cause of death,” said Holly Hartzler to the Cambridge Lions Club. “So we need to pay attention to both. We need to be as proactive as we can and take preventative measures.” Hartzler is a registered dietitian at Southeastern Med.

“February is heart health month so I am here to talk about how you can improve you heart health. We all have room to improve,” Harzler said. “Find out your baseline and take small steps everyday to improve it.”

“Be aware that family history can have an impact on your health. Be aware that if you have siblings who have heart health problems you, too, may have problems. You need to keep an eye on your risk factors.”

“I know that the Lions Club helps the diabetes support group at the hospital,” Hartzler said. “If you have diabetes it nearly doubles your risk of having heart disease. You need to keep an eye on your diabetes and do other things to prevent heart problems.”

Hartzler recommended five strategies to prevent heart disease. Don’t smoke or use tobacco products. Become more active. Eat a heart healthy diet. Maintain a healthy weight. Get regular health screenings.

“Everyday you have the opportunity to make a little change,” Hartzler said. If you usually just sit around, get up and take a little walk. Each day you can increase the length of your walk. Walk up and down the aisles of the grocery store. Look for foods that are heart healthy and foods that are low in sodium. Little changes can make a big difference.”

“Know your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and work to keep your HDL levels lower. Know your body mass index (BMI), the ratio of weight to height. A BMI over 25 may show that you need to work on lowering your weight.”

“There are things you can do to help improve your heart health,” Hartzler said. “Have regular health screenings. Enroll in the free smoking cessation programs at the hospital. Get regular exercise. Change your diet by trying things from the grocery store. Get antioxidants by eating brightly colored vegetables.”