 that living in harmony and balance with the environment, respecting the natural order of the world, and depending upon it, to give us water, oxygen, and food is the essence for a quality life. These beliefs are kept sacred by preserving them in songs and dances which kept the culture strong physically, mentally, and spiritually, passing this wellness and sense of balance and strength to future generations. All American Indian and Alaskan Native cultures have historically relied on gathering and hunting for their survival. Their diet consisted mainly of deer, buffalo, bear, moose, fish, and a variety of vegetation such as berries, wild celery, melons, and corn. The physical activity associated with our culture offered physical fitness as well. Cultural celebrations, which included running, dancing, added to the well-being and provided spiritual and mental balance. With the industrial age of the 1920s, the Native people saw gradual decline in farming and hunting. Tribal members began to work away from their homes and non-agricultural jobs. There was a major shift in the food sources and supply. The American Indian and Alaskan Native continued to practice their religion and strong tradition but with the increased consumption of processed foods and with jobs that required little or no physical activity. It has become difficult to maintain this balance. In previous centuries everyone participated in dancing, games, running, and some physical movement. Today it is more difficult to stay healthy. This gradual change in lifestyle has caused our people to be susceptible to some diseases, heart disease, and diabetes. With the change in our diet to foods higher in fat and sodium, Alaskan Natives are now at risk for disease. We need to keep our hearts healthy to leave a legacy for our future generations. Lack of exercise and lack of physical activity increases your chance for high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes. So the good news is if we eat foods that are low in saturated fats and cholesterol, if we get 30 minutes of exercise every day, if we eat more fruits and vegetables and less sodium, if we're overweight lose weight, and not abuse tobacco, we will greatly reduce our risk for heart attacks and strokes. Well I did not think I was a candidate for a heart attack. I was a diabetic and my blood pressure was slightly elevated. It did happen in 1994. One day I had chest pains and I called 911 and I went to the hospital emergency room. The diagnosis was a heart attack. After this major event in my life I changed my whole lifestyle. The doctor prescribed aerobic exercise starting with walking, a proper diet low in saturated fats to lower my cholesterol, and he also recommended to practice stress management. I began spending more quality time with family and friends and I especially enjoyed being with my grandchildren. I still have a busy schedule, lead an active life, and I'm just taking it one day at a time. I've been a diabetic for 25 years and the doctor told me to walk 30 minutes a day and stay on his diet. I was already trying to lose weight because I, at that time, weighed over 200 pounds or a size 20 dress and wouldn't get out and exercise or do anything but just cook some good meals and everybody was getting fat, you know. The doctor says to walk 30 minutes a day and stay on his diet and I was already on a 1500 calorie diet trying to lose weight, all right, and that consisted of like a half a cup of this and a half a cup of that, you know, when I was used to about a two, three cup serving, size serving, you know. But I stayed with it that semester and that semester I lost 25 pounds, my back problem left me, my feet problem left me. To me walking is the easiest, it doesn't cost anything either. When you're out walking breathe deep and sing loud, talk holler if you're out in the country where I am, you can do that. To educate our children at a very early age as to what an important organ this heart of ours really is, it is in fact the center of life just as the drum is a center to all our traditions and our tribal celebrations. Changing to heart healthy foods, foods good for your heart is not difficult. Remove the skin from chicken and throw it away. Other ways to reduce fat and what you eat are to drain the fat from hamburger and other meats after you cook them. Eat the muscle meat from wild game more often and the places that collect fat and cholesterol like the tail or organs less often. Use herbs like basil, garlic, lemon and oregano instead of salt or sodium to season your chicken, other meats and vegetables and eat plenty of fruits each day. Compare labels to choose the food lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories. Cool soups and gravies and skim the fat off with a spoon before you reheat them. Drain the liquid and rinse canned meats and vegetables. You can also reduce fat and cholesterol by substituting foods. Try some of these substitutions. Try vegetable oil, soft margarine and liquid instead of butter and lard. Try skim milk and 1% milk instead of whole milk. Try low fat salad dressing and mustard instead of mayonnaise. Try egg whites, egg substitutes instead of whole eggs. Try low fat cottage cheese, low fat cheese instead of regular yellow cheese. Try low fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Try low fat turkey bacon instead of bacon. Try low fat turkey sausage instead of pork sausage. Try no salt added canned vegetables instead of regular canned vegetables. Most people have not had to deal with the number of life-threatening illnesses that I've had to deal with and I think that what's caused me to be able to go on with my life in a very positive way are two things. One is that I exercise, I walk, I am involved in Cherokee traditional dances, I try to eat healthy and but most importantly you know like everybody else I can't control what goes on with my body necessarily but I can control what goes on in my mind and so I try to have a good positive healthy outlook on life, try to focus on the positive and and I think you know mainly I want to be here for my family and for my grandchildren and for my tribe and in order to do that I have to have a healthy heart and a healthy positive good mind. We can make those changes now by eating less fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol and less sodium, by cooking with unsaturated oils, cutting down on portion sizes and watching those extra calories, taking a walk to the post office, walking to the store, clearing out that favorite gardening spot and planting your favorite vegetables, take a walk with a friend, participate in tribal dances and take time to laugh, to reflect, to relax, to read a book but take the time to be alone and sit quietly stretch breathe deeply and be alone with your creator the time for spiritual reflection is now