Video: Spirit of Women - Day of Dance 2013

Feb. 10, 2013: Franciscan Alliance's second annual Day of Dance event, as part of our Spirit of Women campaign. More than 900 joined us at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville to "Get Their Dance On" and focus on women's health through a myriad of events, including dance instruction and performances, health screenings and discussions with local doctors.

Video Recap: Day of Dance 2012

Feb. 12, 2012: Franciscan Alliance's first Day of Dance event, as part of our new Spirit of Women campaign. More than 700 attendees of all ages took part in a myriad events, including dance instruction and performances, health screenings, cooking demonstrations and a vendors bazaar - all meant to stress health during February, which is American Heart Month.

Enjoy!

Listen: Heart Health Tips in a Minute

Franciscan Physicians Hospital has partnered with the American Heart Association to bring you the Heart Health Minute - 60 seconds of information to keep your heart beating in the right direction.

Choose a link below and be sure to tune in each day to WLS 890 AM at the 3 p.m. hour to hear the next Heart Health Minute, and remember, at Franciscan Physicians Hospital, Your Care is Our Passion.

Heart Health Minute: High Blood Pressure
Heart Health Minute: Cholesterol
Heart Health Minute: Dieting
Heart Health Minute: Smoking

It's National Cholesterol Education Month - Know Your Numbers!

Your body needs cholesterol to work well. But cholesterol levels that are too high can harm you. Extra cholesterol in your blood builds up inside the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque. Plaque reduces, or even stops, the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart disease. And this is why it is important to know your numbers and educate yourself on ways to help you control your cholesterol. After all, September is National Cholesterol Education Month!

Your Cholesterol Numbers

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Most people should have their blood cholesterol levels tested at least every 5 years once they reach ages 20 - 45. Have your cholesterol checked more often (probably every year) if you have:

• Diabetes
  
• Heart disease
  
• Blood flow problems to your feet or legs
  
• Had a stroke

A blood cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol. This includes both HDL ("good") cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Your LDL level is what doctors watch most closely. You want it to be low. If it gets too high, you will need to treat it.

Treatment includes:

• Eating a healthy diet that can lower your cholesterol
  
• Losing weight (if you are overweight)
  
• Exercising

You may also need medicine to lower your cholesterol.

• If you have heart disease or diabetes, your LDL cholesterol should stay below 100 mg/dL.
  
• If you are at risk for heart disease (even if you do not yet have any heart problems), your LDL cholesterol should be below 130 mg/dL.
  
• Almost everyone else may get health benefits from LDL cholesterol that is lower than 160 to 190 mg/dL.

You want your HDL cholesterol to be high.

• For men, it should be above 40 mg/dL.
  
• For women, it should be above 50 mg/dL.
  
• Exercise helps raise your HDL cholesterol.

It is still important to eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise even if:

• You do not have heart disease or diabetes
  
• Your cholesterol levels are in the normal range

Learn more about cholesterol, including lifestyle changes, by visiting our Online Health Library.

WorkingWell Offers Heart Health Screening for Women

Heart disease, often thought of as a man's problem, is the number one killer of women. In fact, more women die of heart disease than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.

WorkingWell wants women to get smart about their heart health today!

Risk Factors
Many heart disease risk factors can be controlled by making changes in your lifestyle and, in some cases, by taking medications. Risk factors include:

• Existing coronary heart disease (heart attack, bypass surgery, heart stents)
• Stroke or carotid artery disease
• Blocked arteries in your legs
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Cigarette smoking
• Poor diet
• Lack of regular exercise
• Overweight
• Family history of heart or vascular disease
• High blood pressure
• Abnormal cholesterol levels

The Women's Cardiovascular Health Screening program at WorkingWell makes it easier than ever to know your risk. Screenings include:

• Lipid Profile blood draw**
• FBS (fasting blood sugar blood draw)**
• Blood Pressure Check
• BMI (Body Mass Index measurement

Cost is $25 (fee must be paid in cash or credit at time of screening). For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 866-552-WELL (9355).
**Requires fasting 8-10 hours prior to lab draw.

Video: Making Diet Changes Now to Improve Future Health

Jody Adams, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, discusses how changing your diet and eating habits today will impact your well being in the future.

FranciscanFit Mallwalkers Program Set for May 25

Heart health will be the presentation topic for the next Franciscanfit -- Steps to Good Health monthly Mallwalkers program.

The free program, sponsored by Franciscan Alliance hospitals in northern Indiana and Westfield Southlake mall, is scheduled for 8 to 10 a.m. May 25.

The public is invited to attend a 9 a.m. presentation of the program theme offered by Terri McCambridge, a cardiac catheterization nurse at Franciscan St. Margaret Health-Hammond. McCambridge will teach participants about lifesaving heart health numbers. High numbers can indicate a risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and several forms of cancer.

Glucose and blood pressure screenings also will be available.

New Mallwalkers members are welcome to register for the program, which takes place on the mall's lower level, outside of JC Penney, on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Regular walkers hours are 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 to 11 a.m. Sundays.

For more information, call (800) 931-3322.

Franciscan Alliance hospitals in northern Indiana include Franciscan Physicians Hospital LLC in Munster, St. Margaret Health-Dyer and Hammond, St. Anthony Health-Michigan City and St. Anthony Health-Crown Point.

High Blood Pressure - Educate Yourself

Did you know that about one in every three to four adults in the United States has high blood pressure, and about a quarter of those who have it are unaware that they have it? May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month. Franciscan Physicians Hospital encourages you to know the facts and arm yourself with helpful information and tips to reduce high blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of other complications.

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as the heart pumps blood through the body. High blood pressure, or "hypertension," often has no obvious cause, although many factors can contribute. When you have high blood pressure, your blood vessels are too narrow (constricted) or they may have too much blood volume circulating in them. High blood pressure puts an additional strain on blood vessels throughout your body and increases the workload on the heart.

Blood pressure readings are measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and usually given as two numbers -- for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One or both of these numbers can be too high.

The top number is your systolic pressure.

• It is considered high if it is over 140 most of the time.
• It is considered normal if it is below 120 most of the time.

The bottom number is your diastolic pressure.

• It is considered high if it is over 90 most of the time.
• It is considered normal if it is below 80 most of the time.

Blood Pressure Screening Guidelines

• Current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend that all adults age 18 years and older have their blood pressure measured.
• People with high blood pressure should be screened for diabetes. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that all patients with blood readings of 135/80 mm Hg or higher be screened for type 2 diabetes. (The American Diabetes Association recommends screening for patients with blood pressure greater than 140/90.)

Lifestyle Changes and High Blood Pressure

Lifestyle changes are important for preventing and treating high blood pressure. Healthy changes include maintaining a normal weight, exercising regularly, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol consumption to no more than one or two drinks a day, reducing salt intake, and increasing potassium intake.

Talk with your doctor. Even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked during your yearly check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had high blood pressure. Most of the time, high blood pressure can be controlled with medicine and lifestyle changes.

Read more about high blood pressure in our Online Care Guide +

Heart Healthy Eating

Eating heart healthy foods can lead to lower cholesterol, blood pressure, minimized heart disease and an abundance of other benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the number one cause of death for both men and women.

Utilizing the following tips for eating "heart healthy" can help prevent future problems with your cardiovascular system. By looking at your food consumption in categories, you can simplify keeping track of the foods you eat.

Meat, Poulty & Fish: Choose lean cuts of meat with fat trimmed like beef round, sirloin, or chuck; lamb-leg, arm loin and rib; pork tenderloin, leg or shoulder; all types of trimmed veal, except ground; poultry without skin; fish and shellfish.

Work to decrease your consumption of prime grade, fatty cuts of meat, goose, organ meats, sausage, bacon and hot dogs.

Dairy Products: Choose 2 servings a day (3 if pregnant or breast feeding) of skim milk, 1% milk, low-fat buttermilk or low-fat evaporated milk.

Choose low-fat yogurt, low-fat soft cheeses like cottage or farmer

Choose cheeses labeled with no more than 2-6 grams of fat.

Work to decrease your consumption of whole milks, cream, half & half, cream cheese, sour cream, and high-fat cheeses like brie, Swiss, American, mozzarella, feta, cheddar and muenster.

Breads, Cereals, Pasta, Rice, Beans: Choose breads like whole wheat, white, pumpernickel, rye, pitas, bagels, English muffins, sandwich buns, dinner rolls and rice cakes.

Choose low-fat crackers like matzo, bread sticks, rye krisp and saltines.

Choose hot and most cold dry cereals. Check labels for fat and cholesterol content.

For pasta, choose plain noodles, spaghetti and macaroni.

Any grain rice is good, and for dried peas and beans, choose split peas, black-eyed peas, chick peas, kidney beans, navy beans, lentils and soybeans.

Work to decrease your consumption of croissants, butter rolls, sweet rolls, and danish pastries.
Also decrease consumption of snack crackers like cheese crackers, butter crackers or any with saturated fat.

You'll further benefit by decreasing your consumption of granola-type cereals, pasta and rice prepared with cream, butter or cheese sauces and egg noodles.

Fats & Oils: Choose unsaturated vegetable oils, corn, olive, peanut, canola, safflower, sesame and soybean. Also choose margarine or shortening made with unsaturated fats listed above.

Utilize mayonnaise and salad/low-fat dressings made with unsaturated fats.

Decrease your consumption of high-fat frozens, high-fat cakes including pound and frosted, store-bought pies and most candy.

Also work to avoid potato and corn chips prepared with saturated fat, buttered popcorn and high-fat beverages like frappes, milkshakes, floats and eggnog.

Utilize these tips to help lower your risk for heart disease today! For more information on healthy eating habits, visit our A.D.A.M. health content!