Broadband and heart health go together like peas and carrots. And just like how vegetables are important for a healthy diet, broadband can play a valuable role in heart health. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States? Fortunately, though, heart disease is often preventable. Knowing which digital tools are available can help you take steps toward preventing heart disease today.
Your phone can help you eat a healthy diet: The food you eat goes a long way in preventing heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, a heart-healthy diet should be high in fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, and legumes and low in saturated fat and sugar. There are many recipe apps for your mobile device that can help you plan and cook heart-healthy meals. If you don’t have time for a home-cooked meal, there are also apps that let you quickly look up nutritional information about prepared foods by scanning barcodes with your phone.
Calorie counting apps can help you avoid packing on the pounds: Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. The best way to maintain a healthy weight is to balance the amount of energy you take in (calories) with the amount of energy you release (exercise). Keeping track of calories can be tricky, but there are apps to make this easier. Calorie-counter apps help you log the food you’ve eaten and then automatically total and compare to your recommended daily calorie count.
Wearable fitness trackers motivate you to exercise regularly: As we all know, physical activity has many heart-related benefits. These include lowering blood pressure, reducing bad cholesterol, and helping to maintain a healthy weight. Wearable, watch-like devices that monitor activity and heart rate are becoming increasingly popular for fitness. Many users report that these trackers motivate them to be active, displaying activity data on their mobile phones. Some people even share the information through social media and compare with their friends as another accountability tool for reaching their personal fitness goals.
Wireless devices can monitor your blood pressure at home: High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for heart disease, and it can often go unnoticed. Small, wireless blood pressure monitors let you easily and quickly check your blood pressure at home. These devices measure blood pressure from the arm or wrist and send the information to a mobile phone or computer. From there, you can keep track of the results over time and even share with your doctor. This makes it easier to detect a new blood pressure problem or monitor whether a blood pressure medication is working.
Want to Know More? The Connect2HealthFCC Task Force is working to raise consumer awareness about the value of broadband in the health and care sectors. Learn about the FCC’s Connect2Health Task Force and its work on consumer health issues at www.fcc.gov/health. For information about other communications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer website at www.fcc.gov/consumers.
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