“If you exercise
regularly, eat right and don’t smoke, you are on your way to healthier heart”,
says Dr. Willet.
Taking a few healthy lifestyle
steps can help you feel better and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Here, what you need to know to eat right, get active and quit smoking.
To put the pieces of an
ideal heart-healthy eating plan together, “think of diet and nutrition like an
orchestra- all components should be balanced for optimal heart health”, says
Walter Willett, MD chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of
Public Health.
EAT FOR YOUR HEART:
To get started, try
these six simple steps:
Ø Control
your portion size
Fill
half a normal dinner plate with green leafy, bright or deeply colored
vegetables such as spinach and beets. These veggies are packed with
heart-healthy nutrients. Leave a quarter each for lean protein and complex
carbohydrates, such as potatoes (no fried), brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
Ø Eat
less red meat
It’s
high in saturated fat, which boosts cholesterol levels. Instead, choose
proteins such as broiled or grilled fish, skinless poultry and beans. Consider eating
one meat-free meal a day.
Ø Choose
nonfat and low-fat dairy
Opt
for skim or soy milk, fat-free yogurt and low fat cheese. Dairy is rich in
potassium, which reduce stroke risk, according to recent research.
Ø Fill
up on fruits and vegetables
The
American Heart Association (AHA) recommends you get at least four to five cups
of fruit and the same amount of vegetable daily. One cup is about of woman’s
fist.
Ø Favor
fiber-filled foods
Fiber-rich
foods such as produce and whole grains are satiating- so you may feel fuller
longer. Soluble fiber, found in beans, peas, oats, apples, citrus, barley and
psyllium, can help lower cholesterol.
Ø Toss
the salt shaker
Salt
causes fluid retention, which raises blood pressure and can worsen angina. Follow
the AHA recommendation of less than 1500 mg a day, unless your doctor suggest
otherwise. To reduce salt in your diet, eat more fresh food and fewer processed
products, which tend to be loaded with sodium. If you’re out at a restaurant,
ask if the chef can prepare low salt versions of menu items for you.
GET
MOVING:
Exercise
will help make you stronger and increase what’s known as exercise tolerance,
how much you can physically exert yourself before becoming exhausted. The better
your exercise tolerance becomes, the harder you can work out without
experiencing angina pain. Exercise also helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol
and blood glucose levels.
Ø Enlist
a buddy
Plan
to exercise with your spouse, a family member or friends to help you stay
committed.
Ø Start
slow and build up
“You
don’t have to work out like an Olympic athlete”, says Robert Eckel, MD, head of
preventive cardiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in
Aurora.
How
much exercise is enough to help your heart?
Thirty
minutes a day, at least five days a week, of brisk walking is fairly standard. However,
if you heart’s sake, your doctor may want you to strive for an hour of physical
activity daily. You can break it up into 15 minute chunks.
Ø Log
it
Keep
track of the time, speed and duration of you walks.
KICK
BUTTS
Quitting
is essential for anyone who smokes, but it’s especially important for people
with angina.
Smoking causes your arteries to constrict, which can
make angina worse. Talk to your doctor about tools for quitting. Research shows
that combining support and medical therapy is most effective.
Get helpful tips and information….at www.SpeakFromTheHeart.com
