February is national heart health month. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adults. Sugar, fat and cholesterol build up plaque in the arteries causing atherosclerosis, inflammation and the narrowing of arteries which can develop blood clots or cause vein rupture. Every 36 seconds someone loses their life due to heart disease or stroke, women dying more frequently than men. Contributing factors are a plant-poor diet which exacerbates genetics, work/financial stress, lack of quality sleep, smoking, drinking excess alcohol, lack of exercise, obesity, and diabetes. Let’s bust some myths that interfere with heart health.
Myth: Heart Attacks start with severe chest pain.
Wrong. One out of five heart attacks are “silent,” the person is not aware of any symptoms or do not connect them to a heart attack, especially women. Some other signs of a heart attack can be:
nausea
sweating
light headedness or dizziness
shortness of breath
jaw, arm, back, neck, or shoulder pain
The longer the delay in medical intervention, the more damage to the heart.
Myth: Heart Disease runs in my family, so I will get it.
Fact: Good genes can be turned on and bad genes can be turned off with a whole food plant rich nutritious diet. The family factor may be more about inheriting habits of eating a poor diet, having poor stress management, and physical inactivity. The good news is 70-90% of chronic disease can be avoided with a daily diet rich in a variety of plants of all colors (9-13 cups a day) and living a healthy lifestyle.
Myth: Eating lean red meat will not contribute to cardiovascular disease.
Unfortunately, it can. Though some studies have found lean red meat trimmed of visible fat does not raise total blood cholesterol, a recent discovery of a metabolite called TMAO in red meat is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes (JAMA 8/11/19). So, eating red meat regularly will shorten one’s lifespan. Worse yet, eating processed red meat (bacon, hot dogs, sausage and salami) raises heart disease risk by 20%.
Substitute red meat with legumes, nuts & seeds, peas, eggs, grains, fish high in omega 3’s (salmon, halibut, sardines, trout), and poultry. Many green leafy vegetables have protein as well and magnesium, an important nutrient for the heart.
Myth: The dietary concerns to watch out for is fat, cholesterol, and salt.
There is a new and greater concern, sugar. People who eat 17% or more of their calories in added sugar had a 38% higher risk of heart disease, that’s 20 tsp. of sugar. The problem is those eating the Standard American Diet averages 23 tsp. of sugar in a day! Food manufacturers add sugar because it is addictive- you will eat more. The worst culprits are sodas, alcohol, fruit drinks, flavored yogurt, cereal, baked goods, candy… The problem is, processed sugar in many forms is added to so many different kinds of processed food: soup, sauces, ketchup, cured meats and that is how it adds up. It increases blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. What to do? Cook more homemade meals and read labels. Added sugars is required to be included on the label, so read labels to avoid added sugar. Women should consume less than 100 calories/6 tsp. or 25 grams of processed sugar a day, and men less than 150 calories/9 tsp. or 36 grams of added sugar a day.
An ingredient that is good for heart is love. Isolation and loneliness have a negative impact on health. We are created to give and receive love. Knowing God loves us, and practicing good self-love expands our capacity to love and serve others. We can cultivate and enjoy the growth of love for family and friends, even pets. We can belong to and participate in a church community, a healthy work environment, in a ministry or charitable service. It is in giving love, we can gain more than we give!
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14
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