The Beacon
Volume 4, Issue 2
February 2013
Some Healthy Heart Facts Article provided by Greg Sedbrook I hope everyone has been able to successfully adhere to their New Year’s resolutions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This month we think about our hearts in two different ways. The most obvious being February 14th, Valentine’s Day, where we associate our hearts with love, as we celebrate the day with the people we cherish the most in this world. But February is also the time the American Heart Association designates as Heart Health month. The American Heart Association calls heart disease “the number one killer” for both men and women in the United States. The following are some healthy heart facts to help you in your fight against heart disease. Walking 30 minutes a day 5 times a week can lower your chances of heart disease. It doesn’t seem like walking would count as much exercise, but it actually contributes to a healthy heart. Drink red wine as part of a heart healthy diet. Red grapes contain what researchers believe to be an antioxidant called resveratrol. Resveratrol can protect your heart against disease. Drinking wine is actually better than just eating the grapes because drinking moderately can lower your blood pressure and heart rate. This does not mean that you should drink an entire bottle of wine every day, but a glass or two is fine and might also reduce inflammation and blood clotting. Having high blood cholesterol increases your chance for heart disease. Your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL. Not all cholesterol is bad for your heart, so the most important heart healthy tip is to have an appropriate ratio of good to bad cholesterol. You can ask your doctor to run a blood test, called a “lipoprotein profile,” to find out your cholesterol numbers. Lower your triglycerides to get your heart healthy. Triglycerides are a form of fat in your blood plasma and like cholesterol they can be detected with a lipoprotein profile. Elevated levels of triglycerides have been linked to diabetes and heart disease. Copyright © 2013 Peel, Inc.
Limit your intake of foods containing unhealthy fats and cholesterol for a healthy heart. There has been a lot of talk recently about not eating trans fats, and you shouldn’t; but just because a product touts itself as being “trans fat-free” it does not mean that it is good for you. It is important to look at labels for saturated fat and cholesterol. Foods that contain saturated fat and cholesterol are usually animal products: bacon, butter, cream sauces. Increase your intake of heart healthy fats. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats can contribute to a healthy heart. Look for items like avocados and cold water fish. Almonds and flaxseeds are also rich in antioxidant and heart healthy fat, just don’t go overboard. Indulging in some dark chocolate can promote a healthy heart. Just make sure that the cacao content is 70% or higher. Like wine, dark chocolate contains resveratrol. Cacao itself has cacao phenols, or flavonoids (an antioxidant). Quit smoking or don’t start. Smoking can have even more serious effects on your heart than eating fast food. Smoking contributes to high triglycerides, high blood pressure and a lower immune system. Smokers increase their risk of heart disease by 50 percent and they are also most susceptible to blood clots. If you have heart symptoms, don’t ignore them. While most people know that arm pain is an indication of a heart attack, some don’t know that heart attack symptoms also include feelings of weakness, dizziness, back pain and jaw pain. And in closing, also remember that regular massage can be another good tool to use in the prevention of heart disease by reducing stress and a multitude of other ways. Kill two birds with one stone so to speak; give a gift certificate for a massage to your favorite Valentine! Till next month; stay safe, think healthy. (Some of the above information was provided by the American Heart Association.) The Beacon - February 2013
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