10 Ways To A Healthy Heart

By Sherry L. Granader Sports Nutritionist http://GetShapeFast.com

February is healthy heart month which helps to continue the awareness of preventing heart disease by controlling blood pressure and keeping both good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol at optimum levels. The American Heart Association reported death rates due to heart disease in the U.S. fell between 1996 and 2006 however we all need to do whatever it takes to keep our ticker healthy and strong. Here are some tips to keep your heart healthy for the rest of your life: 1. Reduce your Salt intake New studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show salt can damage arteries within 30 minutes, even in those who have healthy blood pressure. Salt causes fluid retention and can increase blood volume contributing to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. No more than one teaspoon of salt per day is the recommended amount and sea salt is a better choice however the average American is consuming 2-3 times that much per year. The New England Journal of Medicine reported if salt intake was reduced by just 3 grams or 3 teaspoons, the number of cases of coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack and death could be dramatically reduced. TIP: The salt shaker is not usually the one to blame. Be aware of the amount of sodium found in prepared and pre-packaged foods accounts for 80% of salt intake. 2. Limit your Sweets Sugar is found in many processed foods, beverages, soft drinks and sport drinks which end up on our waistline contributing to weight gain and heart disease risk. One can of soda has about 8 teaspoons of sugar with about 130 calories. One gram of sugar equals 4 calories which may not sound like much, but it all adds up.

TIP: Read labels of beverages and pre-packaged foods for sugar content. Women should get no more than 100 calories per day and men should stop at 150 calories per day. 3. Know your resting heart rate (RHR) Before you get out of bed in the morning, take a moment to do a 15 second count of your pulse and multiply the number of beats by 4 which will give you your resting heart rate. The lower the number, the better because it means your cardiovascular system is working efficiently pumping oxygenrich blood throughout your body. A higher number can indicate an increased risk for heart disease according to studies published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. TIP: Exercise daily 4. Get enough shut-eye. Sleep is very important in preventing coronary artery disease and there is plenty of documentation that sleep apnea which means interruptions in breathing while asleep can have implications on your heart over the long run. It can lead to high blood pressure because your cardiovascular system doesnt get a break especially if you are getting 5 hours of sleep or less. TIP: Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep per night 5. Schedule your Exercise Sessions Getting your heart pumping on a daily basis has so many health benefits. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week which means 30 minutes per day including weight-bearing exercise at least 2-3 times per week. TIP: Break it up into 15 minute sessions per day if you need to because the effect of aerobic exercise is cumulative. 6. Quit Smoking Do whatever you can to quit as there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. 7. Stabilize blood sugar levels daily Over time, high blood sugar levels can damage nerves and blood vessels which can lead to atherosclerosis. Diabetes can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Getting a fasting blood glucose test will give you a snapshot picture of your blood sugar or you can get a hemoglobin A1C test

which measure overall blood glucose over the past 3 months. Optimum range for a fasting blood glucose test should be 85-95 milligrams per deciliter. Pre-diabetes is indicated when levels test between 100-125 mg/dL and diabetes is indicated with a reading of 126 mg/dL or higher. TIP: Eat mini-meals every 3-4 hours consisting of WHOLE foods to stabilize blood sugar level. 8. Reduce inflammation from the inside out. Chronic inflammation is detrimental to our health and can lead to several diseases including atherosclerosis, obesity, pain in the body and is measure by C-Reactive protein a marker picked up through a blood test called hsCRP (hs = high sensitivity). It should measure at 1 mg/L for low risk of heart disease, 1-3 mg/L means you are at an average risk and levels above 3 mg/L means your risk is high. TIP: Stay away from salty, highly processed foods which can cause inflammation.

9. Measure your waist A high waist circumference increases the risk for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and indicates more fat around the abdomen area meaning there is fat around vital organs. Men should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches and women should be less than 35 inches. TIP: Do what you can to lose weight and keep it off. 10. Lower Your Blood Pressure and cholesterol. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute report 1 in 3 Americans have high blood pressure. When the cuff is wrapped around your arm, it is measuring the force on the walls of the arteries which can fluctuate as the heart beats and pushes blood through your body. The problem is high blood pressure does not show symptoms so a person could have high blood pressure without realizing it damaging organs and causing other problems. The DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) which is high in vegetables, fruit, fish and whole grains with little or no meat, salt or sugar has been shown to significantly lower blood pressure combined with regular exercise. Normal numbers are 120 over 80 anything higher than those numbers means damage to the vascular system, heart and kidneys.

The top number is called systolic which measures the pressure while the heart beats. The bottom number is diastolic and measures the pressure between heart beats. Your cholesterol measures the fats circulating in your bloodstream and exercise still is the best medicine when it comes to lowering both blood pressure and cholesterol. Aim for total cholesterol below 200 mg/DL anything higher than 240 mg/DL puts you at risk for coronary artery disease. TIP: When it comes to supplements, calcium and magnesium is a great way to lower blood pressure naturally with apple pectin found in the skin of apples is best for lowering cholesterol. An apple a day.. References: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 81 no. 3 (2010): 232-4, Author interview with Cynthia Bulik, PhD, School of Medicine, University of North CarolinaChapel Hill Changes in Neighborhood Food Store Environment, Food Behavior and Body Mass Index, 1981 1992, Public Health Nutrition 11, no. 9 (2009): 963-7 American Heart Association New England Journal of Medicine, 29, no. 2 (2009): 208-216