Heart Healthy Habits

Practical Lifestyle Changes That Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease

Who Is At Risk For Heart Disease?

In the media there’s a lot of talk about diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and whatever disease is a current hot topic. The truth is that while these diseases are certainly frightening, none of them has the same impact on health and well-being that heart disease does. Heart disease is the number one killer in America. Here are some shocking statistics provide by the Center for Disease Control.

• About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year – that’s 1 out of every 4 deaths. • Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United

States. • About every 25 seconds, someone in the U.S. will have a coronary event, and every minute, someone will die from a coronary event. • Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack.

(Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ heartdisease/facts.htm)

And almost everyone has a risk factor for heart disease. Before we take a look at those risk factors, let’s define what heart disease really is, and why it’s such a deadly disease.

Heart disease is an umbrella term for any type of disorder or condition that affects your heart. In most cases what happens is that your arteries are weakened. You may suffer from atherosclerosis, which is a condition that develops when a substance called plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries.

The buildup narrows the arteries and makes it more difficult for the blood to flow through. Clots can form, which can stop blood flow. The stress and strain on your heart can cause the walls to thicken. If a clot forms it can stop blood flow and cause a heart attack or stroke.

Let’s take a look at the risk factors. Chances are you’ll see yourself in some of these risk factors.

The Risk Factors of Heart Disease

How Old Are You? heart disease increases. Your arteries can become narrowed and damaged as you age. As this happens, it can cause your heart to work harder. Remember, your heart is a muscle and it never gets a rest. If it has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body, it’s likely to give out sooner.

What’s Your Gender?

Men have a greater risk of heart disease. However, once a woman goes through menopause, her risk of heart disease increases.

Family Matters

People with a family history of heart disease have a greater risk of developing heart disease. And if your parent developed it before age 55, then your risk increases even more.

Lifestyle Habits

A diet that’s high in fat, salt, sugar or cholesterol can contribute to the development of heart disease. If you’re overweight or live a sedentary lifestyle then your risk of heart disease also increases. And smoking is a serious risk factor. Smoking is a major cause of heart disease for both men and women.

Medical Conditions

People with certain health issues or medical conditions also have a higher risk of heart disease. For example, if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes your risk increases. Interestingly, diabetes

raises the risk of heart disease in women more than it does in men.

The Stress Connection

Stress has been connected to several medical conditions including obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The hormone cortisol is released during times of stress and can cause damage to your tissues including your arteries and your heart.

So stress, lifestyle, and some factors beyond your control are all risk factors for heart disease. You may be seeing yourself in factor. Early prevention is several of these risk factors. key. Here’s what you need to know… Early Prevention Is Key

More risk factors equals more risk. Your risk for heart disease multiplies as your number of risk factors increase. Having just one risk factor doubles your risk for heart disease, but if you have two risk factors your risk of heart disease is now fourfold. If you have three or more risk factors then your risk for heart disease increases more than tenfold.

Some risk factors are more serious. For example, if you have diabetes or you’re a smoker you’re at greater risk for heart disease than others.

While many risk factors are beyond your control, and some start during childhood, there are many risk factors that are in your control. Because your risk increases as the number and intensity of your risk factors increase, it makes sense to take steps to reduce each risk The sooner you begin reducing your risk of heart disease, the better. Remember that each risk factor that you reduce or eliminate lowers your chances of getting heart disease exponentially. Early prevention is about changing your lifestyle and habits to support a healthy circulatory system and a strong heart. Let’s start by taking a look at the role that diet plays in heart health.

The Components of a Heart Healthy Diet

What you put into your body has a direct impact on your health. While the occasional indulgence is okay, a daily diet of indulgences cause problems.

So what is considered an indulgence?

Foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt are all indulgences. The good news is that these foods are easy to identify. In general an indulgence is a processed food.

A heart healthy diet is a diet that is:

• Low in salt • Low in trans fats • Low in saturated fats • Low in cholesterol • Low in processed sugar you’re on the right track. a piece of fruit or a bowl of oatmeal. A processed breakfast might look like a store-bought muffin or a bowl of cereal. (Cereal made from whole grains with no added sugars may

In general, that means if Why Does a Whole Foods you eat a whole foods diet, Diet Matter? be okay.) A whole food is a food Whole foods matter that has been processed because they not only or refined as little as provide your body with possible, and is free from what it needs to thrive, it additives or other artificial also has nutrients that are substances. proven to lower your risk of heart disease. Yes, when A whole food breakfast you eat a diet that is rich might look like an egg and in: • Lean meats • Whole grains • Fruits • Vegetables • Healthy fats from nuts and seeds

You reduce your risk of heart disease. That’s pretty great, right? Let’s take a look at the two critical components of your diet that impact your heart health, fat and sugar, and what they do for your health.

Cholesterol

your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is generally reported HDL and LDL. HDL stands for highdensity lipoprotein and LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. High density is “good” cholesterol and LDL is “bad”. It’s easy to remember if you remember LDL is lousy. Your cholesterol may also be reported as a total of LDL and HDL.

Your risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases.

• In general, your total cholesterol goal should be less than 200 mg/dl. • Your HDL should be higher than 40 mg/dl for men and 50 mg/dl for women. The higher the better for this number! • LDL should be less than 130 mg/dl.

Cholesterol is a waxy compound that is found in the cells of your body. Your body actually needs cholesterol to make hormones and some nutrients like vitamin D. However, too much cholesterol can contribute to clogged arteries.

A diet low in cholesterol, saturated and trans fat, and simple sugars will help lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease.

High Blood Pressure

There are many reasons why your blood pressure may be high. It may be due to a hereditary condition. You may be salt sensitive, which means that too much salt can raise your blood pressure.

Dehydration can raise blood pressure as well. In many cases, blood pressure can be controlled through a healthy diet and exercise.

Many physicians recommend what’s often referred to as the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet reduces your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and alcohol.

It also increases your intake of foods that are rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Generally speaking, if your diet is rich in whole, unprocessed foods, it is both low in cholesterol and also supports a healthy blood pressure.

Diabetes

We’ve already discussed the incredible increase in your risk of heart disease if you have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes can be prevented, controlled, and in many cases it can be eliminated with a healthy diet. It requires you to avoid foods that are high in processed sugars. Again, a whole foods diet doesn’t include any added sugars.

Your diet plays a critical role in your health, including the health of your heart. Simply by cutting back on your processed foods and eating more whole foods, you’ll reduce your risk factors. If you have any of the risk factors already mentioned, it’s time to pay attention to what you eat.

Your priorities include eliminating trans fats, reducing saturated fats, and reducing or eliminating processed sugar. Switch to whole grains and eat more fruits and vegetables. You can change your life and your heart health one good habit at a time.

Speaking of good habits, next let’s take a look at exercise. Diet and exercise combined can help ensure that you have a healthy heart for as long as you live.

The Heart Healthy Importance of Exercise & Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Climb the stairs in your home and pay attention to your heart rate. Then pick up something heavy like a bag of books, a sack of dog food or a small child or pet. Now walk back up those stairs. How does your heart rate differ with the extra weight? It’s probably beating faster. This is because extra weight requires your heart to work harder.

With each pound that you gain over what would be considered a normal and healthy weight, you cause your heart to work harder. Extra weight also generally means that you have other risk factors. You may be pre-diabetic, have high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. All of these are risk factors for high blood pressure. It’s why it’s so important to maintain a healthy weight.

So how do you maintain a healthy weight? We’ve already talked about the role that diet plays in your heart health. Exercise is the other component that can make a significant difference in your weight and your heart health.

Your heart is a muscle. When you exercise you not only strengthen your heart, you also burn fat and calories so that you can maintain a healthy weight. It’s also important to point out that exercise does more than just help you lose weight.

Doctors and scientists have learned that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to poor health, including heart disease. In fact, people who don’t exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease compared to people who perform even small amounts of physical activity like gardening and walking.

Hormones are released during exercise and metabolic functions are utilized. These both help keep your body’s systems operating like they’re supposed to. When you live a sedentary lifestyle, your body essentially slows down, and this slowdown causes disease, weight gain, and even depression.

How Much Should You Exercise?

Generally speaking, most people should exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Depending on your current fitness level and age there are different recommendations about the intensity. Here are a few considerations:

New to exercise? Begin with walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes or more a day. Don’t push the intensity at the beginning.

Walking for exercise? Strive to walk at least 10,000 steps each day. This equates to about five miles a day.

Intermediate exerciser? Exercise at a moderate to intense level. Get your heart rate up into the fat burning zone, which is about a 6-7 on an intensity scale. (A “1” would be not at all intense and “10” would be working as hard as possible.)

Taking fitness to the next level? Once you’re able to exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day at a moderate to intense level, you can add time to your workout or strength Strength training builds • Cycling • Push-ups • Dips training. with added weight. Bodyweight is usually Types of Exercise to quite enough to build Consider strength and burn fat There are two types of begin exercising it’s always exercise to consider and important to check with to integrate into your your doctor. Make sure workout program. They that the exercise program include cardio, which kicks you’re using is appropriate up your breathing and for your health and fitness heart rate, and strength. level. and calories. Before you strength in your muscles, If you’re new to exercise, tendons, ligaments and start small. Set one goal bones. Both are great for that you know you can you, and in combination achieve and build on it. they’re an excellent weight It’s difficult to make large loss approach. changes to your lifestyle. However, if you add five Cardio exercises include minutes each week to but aren’t limited to: your daily workout, you’ll • Brisk walking minute minimum quickly. be able to reach that 30 • Swimming This same, one achievable • Jumping rope goal at a time, approach • Dancing can be used to replace • Jogging bad habits with good ones. Diet and exercise Strength Training exercise are an essential part of includes anything that maintaining a healthy works a large muscle weight and preventing group. For example: heart disease. There are • Squats can ruin all of your hard • Lunges work. Let’s explore those • Pull-ups habits next. • Sit-ups Heart Healthy Habits to • Plank Embrace other habits, however, that Improving your heart These movements don’t health and reducing your need to be performed risk of heart disease is

about more than diet buildup in your arteries. stop. In fact, within 12 and exercise. In fact, there This clogs your arteries hours of quitting smoking, are some habits that can and makes it more difficult the level of poisonous completely negate or wipe for the blood to flow. Your carbon monoxide from away the benefits of a heart has to work harder cigarettes returns to healthy diet and exercise. to push the blood through normal in your body. In this section we’ll take a your body and can cause a look at three heart healthy heart attack. Additionally, After one year of not habits to embrace, starting these plaques can rupture smoking, your risk of heart with the most important and cause clots, which can attack is half what it was thing that you can do block arteries and cause when you smoked, and for your heart and your you to have a stroke. 15 years after quitting you health. now have the same risk Secondhand smoke is a as that of a non-smoker. Stop Smoking killer too. If you smoke, get help Smoking can single Inhaling secondhand handedly cause heart smoke is enough to block Smoking is the biggest disease. You don’t need arteries and cause heart lifestyle change that you any other risk factors. attack or stroke. Here are can make. However, it’s Smoking alone can a few statistics for you not the only one. Let’s take destroy your heart. if you don’t believe that a look at the impact of Unfortunately, many secondhand smoke is sleep on your heart health people know that smoking dangerous: next. is bad for them, but they don’t know why. Here are • Secondhand smoke Are You Getting Enough some of the underlying causes nearly 34,000 Sleep? The Sleep reasons why smoking is so premature deaths from and Healthy Heart bad for your heart. heart disease each Connection year in the U.S. among quitting and start today. When you breathe nonsmokers. Sleep is the time when tobacco smoke, your • Nonsmokers who are your body accomplishes blood changes. Your exposed to secondhand several important tasks. triglyceride level rises, and smoke at home or at Your body releases many your “good cholesterol” work increase their risk metabolic hormones level falls. of developing heart during the night, disease by 25 to 30 including Human Growth The chemicals in tobacco percent Hormone. It also takes prevent your body from the opportunity to rest, repairing damages to the The good news is that if refresh, and renew. When lining of your arteries. you’re a smoker, or are you don’t give your body Clots form in these around a smoker, your enough downtime your damaged spaces. heart health begins systems struggle. You’re to improve almost not able to respond Smoking causes plaque immediately if you just to stress as well, your

immune system suffers, and you can even gain weight because your hormone levels become imbalanced.

Sleep is so essential to health and wellbeing that scientists and researchers are constantly studying the effects of not enough sleep. In 2011, the European Heart Journal reviewed more than a dozen of the largest studies.

All together they looked at the results of almost 475,000 people. They found that people who didn’t get enough sleep had a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease and a 15% greater risk of developing or dying from stroke.

While scientists aren’t exactly sure why sleep and heart health are connected, they do believe that sleep impacts blood pressure and the health of the arteries.

Additionally, when you get enough good quality sleep, your heart is able to rest. It doesn’t stop, of course, but your blood pressure and heart rate do go down as you sleep. Additionally, a lack of sleep can increase your 11 body’s resistance to insulin, which is a risk factor for developing diabetes. We’ve already stressed the connection type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Finally, not enough quality sleep increases your C-reactive protein. This is released when you’re under stress or your body is dealing with inflammation. When your CRP is high, it’s a risk factor for heart disease. Interestingly, it can also cause you to be hungry even when your body doesn’t need additional calories. High CRP can cause you to overeat. Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease.

So how do you get enough sleep? Experts say that you should get between 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Creating a sleep routine can help. If you believe you have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea, talk with your doctor. There are steps you can take to recover.

We’ve talked about how sleep can reduce your body’s stress response. Next we’ll take a look specifically at stress and how it impacts your heart health.

Reduce Stress and Improve Your Heart Health

For many, stress is a part of life. Unfortunately, chronic stress can cause damage to your health. When you’re under stress your body releases hormones like cortisol. These hormones have a purpose when your life is in danger.