Dietician Mbali Mapholi. Picture: Supplied.
Johannesburg - Dietician Mbali Mapholi says many South Africans want to get healthier, but they don’t know where to start.
In collaboration with Laager Rooibos, she is on a mission to change this by challenging South Africans to improve their heart health day by day with an “easy-to-follow Laager Heart Month Calendar”.
According to data from the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA), a partner of the National Department of Health, the statistics in South Africa are particularly worrying:
One in three South African adults has hypertension (high blood pressure), which heightens the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney disease.
An average of 10 adults suffer a stroke every hour in South Africa: 225 people die from either heart disease or stroke every day.
Strokes and heart disease are responsible for one in six deaths in the country.
It’s estimated that around 80% of deaths caused by strokes and heart disease could have been prevented through healthy lifestyle choices.
The CEO of the HSFSA says cardiovascular disease remains a public health challenge, given that it remains the highest burden of all the non-communicable diseases.
Against this backdrop, Mapholi and Laager Rooibos, which carries the HSFSA Heart Mark identifying heart-healthy products, came up with the Laager Rooibos Heart Health Calendar.
Laager Rooibos marketing manager Candice Sessions said it takes 21 days to build a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
“That may seem daunting, but taking small steps in the right direction daily is the key. Healthier routines aren’t developed overnight; they take time and consistency.”
Sessions said promoting heart health was something Laager Rooibos was committed to, which was why they were encouraging as many people as possible to follow the Laager Rooibos Heart Health Calendar.
“These daily heart-healthy acts will soon become habits. The right time to take heart health seriously is now,” added Sessions.
The Star
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