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Did you know that February has been designated American Heart Month?  According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2022) heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States!  Heart healthy living encompasses understanding your risks, making healthy choices, and taking steps to lower your chances of developing heart disease including heart attack and stroke.  In lowering your risk of heart disease, you also are improving your overall health and well-being.

 

There are several ways that you can help your heart.

 

The first is to be more physically active – MOVE MORE!  Regular physical activity has many benefits.  It can help with weight loss, improve physical fitness, lower many heart disease risk factors like bad LDL cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, lower stress, improve mental health, and lower your risk for other conditions such as type 2 diabetes and depression.  The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2022) recommend that adults participate in at least 150 minutes (30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity such as brisk walking, swimming, or bicycling and including strength training. Unable carve out a lot of time in your day?  Do not skip it; just break it up into segments!  Try 10 minutes of brisk walking three times a day 5 days a week.  Some physical activity is better than none.

The second is to aim for a healthy weight.  Being overweight is hard on your heart as it increases your risk of having heart disease, a stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes.  Choosing foods that are heart healthy will help you attain and maintain a healthy weight.  Even a small weight loss of 5-10 percent helps your overall health.  This leads to our third aim… to eat a heart healthy diet.

 

What does a heart healthy diet consists of?  Actually many ingredients.  The first ingredient are vegetables such as spinach, collard greens, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots.  The second ingredient are fruits such as apples with the skin, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes.  The third ingredient are whole grains such as plain oatmeal, whole grain or wheat flour breads, and barley.  The fourth ingredient includes fat free or low fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.  The fifth ingredient are protein rich foods such as fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, trout), lean meats (95% lean ground beef, pork tenderloin, skin turkey or chicken), eggs, nuts (walnuts, almonds), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower), soy products (tofu), and legumes (kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, lima beans).  The sixth ingredient is to use oils that are high in monounsaturated fats such as canola or olive oils.

 

As part of a heart healthy diet, you also want to limit your salt intake.  Most people in the United States consume more sodium than recommended (Million Hearts, 2022).  Try to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day.  Choose products that are low in sodium, reduced sodium or no salt added.  Choose fresh, frozen or no salt added foods instead of pre seasoned, sauce marinated, brined or processed meats, poultry and vegetables.  Eat at home more often so you can cook from scratch therefore controlling the amount of salt added to your meals when cooking and eating. Instead of salt, flavor your food with herbs and other spices in place of salt.  

 

Did you know that in the United States, sweetened drinks, snacks, and sweets are the major source of added sugars?  Sweetened drinks include soda, fruit drinks, sweetened coffee and tea, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks, and flavored water.  Sweetened drinks account for about half of all added sugars consumed.  Can you believe that the amount of sugar that is in soft drinks/soda is equal to one cup of granulated sugar!  Limit added sugars in your foods – avoid foods containing white flour, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, sucrose, dextrose, raw sugar, and glucose.

The last thing you want to limit in your diet is saturated fats - bad fats that come from animal sources such as butter cheese, fatty meats, and animal skin. Eat leaner, lower fat and skinless meats, consume lower fat dairy products, and use certain vegetable oils such as olive and canola instead of butter, coconut and palm oil.

 

Finally yet importantly, it is vital to get plenty of sleep and reduce your stress level to promote a healthy heart and blood pressure as well as to bolster your immune system.  Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Reducing your stress by doing a relaxing activity such as yoga, walking, meditation or exercise can help promote better sleep habits.  Take a walk outside in the fresh air and sunlight instead of a late afternoon nap. Adhere to a regular wake up and bedtime routine and time. Instead of looking at your phone, computer or TV screen before bed, relax by listening to calming music, reading a book, or taking a warm bath or shower.

 

In reflection, taking time to care for your heart can be challenging as you go about your daily life.  It is simpler than you think to show your heart the love that it deserves each day.  Small acts of self-care such as taking walks outside, getting regular quality sleep, and cooking heart healthy meals all help your heart.