Give your loved one a gift by taking care of your heart health
March: Nutrition
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23
When we think of hearts in February, our first images are likely related to greeting cards with messages of love, boxes of chocolate hearts and bouquets of pink and red flowers. It’s always a good idea to shower our loved ones with heartfelt words of appreciation and affection. It’s also important to show our physical hearts some love, appreciation and affection.
Coronary heart disease (CHD), sometimes called coronary artery disease (CAD), is the most common type of heart disease – the leading cause of death in both men and women in the U.S. It’s caused when arteries are blocked by cholesterol and fatty material, known as plaque. This makes it hard for blood to flow to the heart and can cause a heart attack.
Several things can lead to plaque build-up:
- Too much cholesterol in the blood.
- High blood pressure.
- Smoking.
- Too much sugar in the blood because of diabetes.
But there’s a lot you can do to prevent heart disease:
- Eat a heart-healthy diet.
- Get active.
- Quit smoking.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- Drink alcohol only in moderation.
- Manage stress.
Your Concordia Health Plan (CHP) offers many wellness solutions to support heart disease prevention:
- Vitality offers consistent resources, motivation and support for a heart healthy diet, regularly physical activity, smoking cessation, limiting alcohol consumption and managing stress.
- Wondr is a year-long program for maintaining a healthy weight and following a heart healthy nutrition plan, as well as managing stress.
- Teladoc provides Teladoc Nutrition services that support you in maintaining a healthy weight, eating a heart healthy diet and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, Teladoc Mental Health services improve access to virtual counseling sessions for support with stress management.
- Evernorth Confide enhances your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by providing a mental health navigator to support decision-making regarding working with a counselor for eight FREE sessions (per topic, per program year), digital solutions and more.
Check out all your plan has to offer by visiting www.ConcordiaPlans.org/mywellness.
ICYMI, Concordia Plans (CPS) also hosted a webinar in January that covered all the wellness solutions, as well as how to decide which one may be right for you and your wellness journey. Check it out!