There is an old saying: "you are what you eat". And if your lifestyle tends to lean more toward stress, lack of sleep, poor diet and little to no exercise you are at risk for heart disease and stroke the number one killer of men and women in the world, says Dr Yvonne Turner-Johnson.

"We are more likely to die from not taking care of ourselves than from an act of violence," said Dr Turner-Johnson during a health and wellness seminar entitled, "Five Important Numbers Everyone Should Know By Heart" at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Columbus Circle, West Moorings, last week.

For most of us, when we think of something harming us we have a tendency to look outward rather than within. With the world becoming more fast-paced and so many people having so little time to spend on themselves or to even think about what they are consuming and its effects on their body, not knowing these numbers can be setting us up for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol which can result in premature death, especially when over 64 per cent of women die from their first heart attack, she said.

Turner-Johnson, MD, is the vice president of the South Miami Medical Staff, and is co-medical director of the hospital's Emergency Department and emergency director of the Heart Attack Unit. She frequently lectures on "Women and Heart Disease" and was invited as the feature speaker by the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce who has partnered with Baptist Health International to host the event.

According to Dr Turner-Johnson, America's recently rescinded "don't ask, don't tell" gay policy used in the army has been a practice adopted by some within the medical field. If the patients don't ask questions then we are not obligated to tell, she said.

"So for some of us, if we just don't go to the doctor then we don't find out about our blood pressure; don't find out if we are diabetic; don't find out about our cholesterol and we tell ourselves if we don't know it, we don't claim it. But unfortunately it claims you," she said.

"Before you leave your doctor, you should know your blood pressure, your weight or body mass index, waist circumference, cholesterol level and your blood glucose level, including your haemoglobin A1C level which refers to your glucose level. Your blood glucose checks your blood sugar level at that point in time while your haemoglobin A1C checks your blood sugar level over a period of time usually three months. This can usually give a better indication of your blood sugar levels and whether you are at risk for diabetes," she said.

Dr Turner-Johnson said a normal waist circumference for a man is 40 inches or less and for a woman 35 inches or less. Your blood pressure should be 120/80. Your blood glucose level at rest should be 100 and your total cholesterol goal should be less than 200mg /dL, she said

"One of the easiest things to do to reduce your risk factor for heart disease is to quit smoking. These numbers would not only protect your heart but your brains and other organs as well."

It is time for us to take control of our lives. You would be surprised how much five or ten pounds less can make a difference in your body, she added.

"Little by little you can change your lifestyle. You don't have to completely stop eating the foods you like but find other ways to prepare them. Fish is a good source of protein but when you take that fish and fry it, you make a healthy food an unhealthy food. You can start by doing small things. I use to take my coffee with five sugars now I take only four or simply have it black. This is a lifestyle change," she said.

"There is no prize for coming close. A normal blood pressure is 120/80. If you need to take medication to get it there, do it. It is not just violence we have to be mindful of but also the violence of our diet".