"Check your heart" with FOX10 and CW55

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - A few rain showers didn't put a damper on the "Check Your Heart" event at FOX10 Saturday.

There were several FOX10 personalities on hand to greet people who came to the television station on Satchel Paige Drive. But, it was the free screenings and health information that attracted most people like Joy Jackson.

"I think everyone should have come out to get their high blood pressure checked, they glucose checked, and they had blood pressure checks. It's really a nice event that I think everyone should have come out. Even though it rained, we're still here, and I really enjoyed all the free stuff that they gave us, and everything was really nice today," Jackson said.

FOX10 News Anchor Lenise Ligon organized the event. The prevention of heart disease is one that is close to her own heart

"It's really something that started when I was about 16 years old. My grandmother died of heart disease. And for her it had a lot to do with lifestyle,” Ligon said.

More than one out of four deaths in Alabama are due to heart disease but lifestyle is something we can all control to avoid becoming a statistic.

PHOTOS: FOX10 and WFNA's 'Check your heart'

"We've had a steady flow of people, and that's what was really most important to me; people coming out here who otherwise wouldn't have access to this service. Getting their blood pressure checked as you can see here, getting their body mass index measured so they can have the tools that they need to make sure that they're keeping their hearts healthy," she said.

The event offered free health screenings by Springhill Medical Center. Those screenings included blood pressure, BMI checks, nutrition consultation, and smoking cessation assistance.

Pharmacist Mark Hardison said other factors like diabetes can also affect your heart health.

"I have an interest and focus on diabetes, and diabetes has a huge impact on heart health. It's been shown statistically that people who have diabetes are at a higher risk for heart disease. So I'm very passionate about trying to help people to understand the importance of diabetes and the impact it can have on their overall health," Hardison said.

Dietitian Laura Armstrong said the diet is always a good place to start when it comes to positive health changes.

"We want to make sure that we're doing a balanced diet. So whether you're doing heart health, you're trying to lose weight, you're maintaining diabetes, whatever your problem is, you want to make sure that you're eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, you want to watch how much salt you take in, and you want to eat lean proteins," Armstrong said.

According to Armstrong, small changes can make a big difference.

"We've been giving out a lot of tips today; we've been talking particularly about low sodium today, so giving other seasoning options, besides just using salt and pepper. Using herbs and spices and citrus juice like lemon and limes to flavor things with. So you can get that tart full flavor without all the need for the salt,” she explained.