SUPPORT YOUR HEART

“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