FebruARY, 2024

February is American Heart Month!

To be thorough, I am including the entire cardiovascular/circulatory (pump and vessels) system

Let’s talk about the many ways we can keep our VIP muscle healthy!

Understand & address your risks:

~ Genetics play a role, but a much smaller role than previously thought. It is widely accepted that environmental/social factors have great influence on how diseases present and progress (this is GOOD news!)

~ Know your risks: family history, age, race/ethnicity/gender, smoking history, weight, diagnoses such as diabetes/pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, blood clots, current nutrition/stress/activity level can affect your risk for heart disease.

~ Address your risks: After listing your risks above, make a plan to implement healthy nutrition & lifestyle choices as these can significantly lower your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Implementing healthy habits can also reverse many conditions (high blood pressure/blood sugar/cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease.)

It’s NEVER too late- with a consistent & healthy regimen, some conditions can require fewer or no medications 

The heart is a muscle, keep it toned!

Movement is so important to our heart muscle, vessels, and all cells that receive the nourishment from blood/blood products (and that is every cell of our body!)

Movement does not need to be organized exercise, and it does not need to be done in one big block of time. Be creative!

Walking 8 - 12,000 steps a day is a good soft goal which could be broken up into smaller intervals.

A 10 minute quick walk a few times a day, dancing to your favorite music, YouTube yoga, playing with dogs/kids, raking/shoveling etc. all count!

If you’re increasing your heart rate (aerobic activity) you’re doing it right :)

Adding Strength Training- either with your own body weight, resistance bands and/or weights- is incredibly important as we age.

Building lean muscle burns extra calories, helps to keep blood sugar regulated, and can improve cholesterol levels.

This all helps our heart and blood vessels stay healthy!

 Practice Mindfulness: It is difficult to feel negative when your heart is filled with gratitude

In simplest terms, Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally focusing on the present moment.

This means not ruminating on things in the past that are bothering you (that you can’t change), and not worrying about the future (things that haven’t happened) - Both of which cause stress.

Most people know that stress can cause high blood pressure, which is not good for our heart or blood vessels. But chronic stress can do more damage by increasing inflammation, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. This can increase the risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

~ Long-term stress can also increase blood cholesterol & triglycerides, which combined with inflammation, can cause havoc in our arteries and elevate blood sugar; which can lead to Diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease.

~ Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere & anytime. Some examples:

~ Breathwork- Incredibly helpful. There are free apps, and YouTube too! A quick/easy exercise is to breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, breathe out for 8 (slowly). Do this 4 times. This calms your parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest). When we focus on this technique we are present in our ‘now’.

~ Meditation- again, apps and YouTube. Focusing on breathing and the sounds around you (or meditative music etc.) and allowing your thoughts to gently flow and float through.

~ Mindful/meditative actions- walking, cleaning, cooking,etc. are all forms!

~ Journaling daily is a great way to stay present- a daily gratitude list, either written or mentally reviewed, is one of the best ways to practice Mindfulness- see above!

Nutrition for Heart Health

There is a LOT to unpack, and I would to help you 1:1. For now I will cover basics

~ Focus on Whole Foods: Unaltered fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, milk, whole grains, yogurt (plain) and some cheeses, unprocessed meats and fish.

~ Limit or remove Ultra Processed Foods: These products that have undergone extensive processing to lengthen their shelf life (think Twinkie!) and often contain multiple additives such as preservatives, artificial flavors (don’t get fooled by ‘natural ’ flavors either), colors, and other substances. These foods are typically low in essential nutrients and high in unhealthy ingredients such as sugars, unhealthy fats, and sodium. They often include ready-to-eat snacks, sugary drinks, packaged baked goods, instant noodles, deli meats, and many ‘convenience’ foods and fried foods.

~ We can’t avoid all forms of processing and minimally processed foods still retain much of their original state and nutrients (think oats, dried/canned beans, spices, washed/frozen fruits/veggies). It’s when you read ingredients you can’t pronounce and there is garbage fat/sugar/ salt/seed oils etc. that you want to limit/avoid.

~ Increase your Fiber: Fiber plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. Aim for at least 25-40 Grams of fiber daily, increasing slowly if you are currently getting less than 25 G.

Soluble fiber refers to a type of dietary fiber that dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract- This gel helps to slow down the digestion and absorption of nutrients, including sugars and cholesterol, in the small intestine (helps with ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and blood sugar spikes).

Examples are: Fruits/veggies (broccoli!), green leafy foods, whole grains (oats/barley), avocados, black beans, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, quinoa, chia seeds.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and remains intact as it passes through the digestive system. This fiber aides in digestion, adds bulk to stool to prevent constipation, & helps with weight management.

Examples are: fruits/veggies with skins (kiwi!), nuts/seeds, whole wheat/bran, quinoa, farro, legumes, brown/wild rice, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans.

** You can see here many foods contain both types of fiber: a Win-Win!

~ Eat foods that Lower Inflammation: Chronic inflammation is involved in most (all?) chronic illnesses, including heart disease. Eat plenty of foods with Antioxidants; substances that neutralize free radicals (unstable molecules that cause oxidative cell damage in our body- think rusty metal or a brown apple). Increase food & drinks with Vitamin C/E, beta carotene, selenium, flavanoids. Examples: Colorful fruits/veggies (berries, kiwi, peppers, carrots, pomegranate), dark chocolate (yay), nuts & seeds (almond, walnut, chia/flax, pumpkin), green tea/coffee (moderation). Eat The Rainbow!

~ Stay hydrated. Drink half your weight in ounces of water daily.

~ Increase Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Omega 3s can prevent and improve Coronary Artery Disease. Examples: salmon, sardines, tuna, nuts/seeds, olive oil, high grade EPA/DHA supplement.

~ Limit Inflammatory foods/fluids as these wreak havoc on our cells and set us up for disease. Examples to avoid/limit: alcohol, refined sugar/sugary drinks (never buy a product with high fructose corn syrup in it!), refined carbs (white bread, packaged sweets/pastries, crackers, vegetable and seed oils -high in Omega 6 (bad) fats. (Sunflower, canola & soybean oils are in SO many products), ultra processed food (above, additives, preservatives, added sugar, fat, salt).

**I will also add any food that you feel you are sensitive to (dairy or gluten?) as these can potentially cause inflammation- but this is subjective.

~ Get Quality Sleep: Inadequate amount and quality of sleep is correlated with high blood pressure, heart disease, increased stress, poor food choices and decreased physical activity- get those ZZZs!

Whew- that’s a LOT of info! And still I am just touching on each subject.

I would love to talk more individually and help you simplify & personalize your healthy diet/lifestyle- please get in touch!

Thank you for reading & Be Well In Your World :)))