Mend a Wounded Heart
We've all been through it ... it started healthy and lively - it was vibrant and there never seemed a need to worry about it. But over time tension begins to surface and poor habits reveal. You want to turn back the hands of time to the wholesome days but the only way to mend the wounded heart is to nourish it in a way that did not seem required before.
Did you know?
In 2001, cardiovascular disease was the blame for 16.6 million deaths across the globe and by 2010 cardiovascular disease will be the leading cause of death in developing countries. 1
Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are the leading cause of death amongst Americans 2. Since 1963, the U.S. Congress has sought to curtail fatalities caused by heart disease by recognizing February as American Heart Month. In celebration, Aetna Global Benefits (AGB) is providing some helpful information to get hearts on a healthy track.
So what are some risk indicators?
According to the American Heart Association, primary indicators include having a family history of heart disease and diabetes. Other risks include high cholesterol and high blood pressure and risky lifestyle habits like smoking, lack of exercise and being over-weight. Race and gender also play a significant role. African Americans are considerably at higher risks than other groups and this year, the American Heart Association is focusing their efforts on educating women through the Go Red for Women campaign.
How can I begin to lower my risk?
Quit Smoking
Habits are hard to break and smoking is notorious for its level of difficulty. The best way to start the cessation path is to set a quit date and stick to it; clean up by getting rid of all lighters, ashtrays and clean the smell of smoke from all fabrics in your life- including washing clothes, curtains and walls; take a health break from your smoking buddies and keep a smoking journal so that you are aware of triggers and can identify ways to replace them. Starting strong will help you become a victor against the cigarette. As an added benefit, quitting smoking could help to slow facial aging and the appearance of wrinkles. 3
Improve Cholesterol
What a conundrum! There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. Learning the difference between the two and tailoring your diet toward HDL-C and decreasing LDL-C in your bloodstream is a step in the right direction. The goal is to get the cholesterol in your liver so that it might be eliminated from the body. HDL-Cs does that well. So consume sparingly foods like whole milk and fatty meats which are high in saturated fat. 4
Control High Blood Pressure
120/80 is the goal and a salty taste bud craving may just be the biggest hurdle on the track to normalizing blood pressure. This could be a tricky course because often high amounts of sodium are already added to the foods you consume everyday. Coupled with the tradition of adding table salt, dining rituals can have a detrimental health effect. Your training regiment: read the packaging and labels on the food you buy and look for less sodium. At the dinner table season your food with herbal spices instead of salt. 5
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Weight management is not a call to be a supermodel, but rather, it is a tool to save your life. Small lifestyle changes can be a great way to get started. Add more fruits, vegetables and grains to your daily diet 6. Decrease the amount of salty, high fat or fried foods from your daily diet. Take it day-by-day — making small changes could positively impact your health in the long run.
Exercising
One and two and three and four...breathe...Gaining the rhythm of an exercise routine can begin with a small time commitment of 30 minutes. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Service, 30 minutes of physical activity daily is required to reduce the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. With only 30 minutes you can tone your heart and blood vessels 7. As an added benefit, a daily workout can help you shed excess weight.
Control Stress
Imagine this: Your heart is gasping for a beat and your arteries are straining to make it happen. In the process, debris in the form of plaque builds on the lining of your arteries making it even more difficult to get blood to your heart. This is no television drama — this is the action of your body amid stress. Save your body the fight by decreasing stressors in your life and increasing relaxation methods. A simple afternoon nap or lavender aromas may help considerably. 8
Did you know?
Lifestyle habits like increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor diets and less physical activity has significantly increased cardiovascular disease globally. 9
A Food Fight: Tackle Heart Disease from every angle
According to a Finnish study, berries just might be the new super food — eating moderate amounts of berries daily may lower blood pressure and raise good cholesterol.
Berries and other foods high in polyphenols, like chocolate, tea, extra virgin olive oil and red wine, are known to contribute to lower heart disease risk by keeping cholesterol from sticking to the arteries. In your daily food fight keep the following foods in mind, as they help manage cholesterol, blood pressure and reduce the risk of a heart attack: 10
- Low Fat Yogurt is a great source of calcium and potassium which lowers blood pressure.
- Garlic works great in almost any meal and it helps keep LDL-Cs from building up in your arteries and contributing to plaque.
- All nuts are nutritious but almonds leads the pack because they boast the most vitamin E which protects cells against damage.
- A study at Creighton University School of Medicine found barley was better than oats at keeping glucose levels under control.
- Cayenne Chili Pepper helps prevent a spike in blood sugar after a meal.
- A Harvard University study found that colorful veggies like carrots can cut the risk of diabetes.
- Carrying extra pounds increases your chance of heart disease; broccoli packs the fiber punch to fill you up while holding the one of the lowest calorie value of all the vegetables.
- Cherries are loaded with antioxidants and anthocyanins that help neutralize the enzymes that cause plaque to break apart
Join us in celebration of American Hearth Month and begin taking your steps toward leading a healthy lifestyle. Keep an eye out for upcoming materials as our International Disease Management Program is expanding to include Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) support. Members, who elect to participate in the program, will receive education to empower the fight and global tools and resources to help control risk factors.
1 World Health Organization (WHO)
2 American Heart Association
3 Journal of American Academy of Dermatology (1999)
4 WebMD Medical Reference
5 Shape, February 2008
6 WebMD Medical Reference
7 WebMD in collaboration with The Cleveland Clinic
8 According to a Greek study by Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD and colleagues from Harvard School of Public Health, people who took naps at least three times a week for an average of at least 30 minutes were 37% less likely to die of hearth disease than people who did not take naps
9 World Health Organization (WHO)
10 Shape, February 2008