Six Tips for Being Heart Healthy

There are a lot of myths about heart health that are still lingering. Heart attacks were considered to be a man’s concern, but after the age of 55, it is the #1 killer of women, so everyone needs to be caring for their heart. That includes families, for young children are showing signs of heart disease which is worrisome. Our health status is the long term cumulation of choices, so it’s best to make every day a day for building health. Once we are in a health crisis, it can take a long time to regain our health, if we haven’t suffered permanent damage. There are the well-known tip for health care such as don’t smoke, avoid eating pop, doughnuts, French fries, fake processed food (Cheetos and pop tarts comes to mind), meats with nitrates…but what are some important strategies for good health?

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Make them half your meals, your snacks, your treats. Recent research is finding we need 13-16 cups of all colors every day, 21 servings if one is an athlete. Why so many? We are exposed to many toxins and stresses which cause free radicals in the body which damage cells. Antioxidants that neutralize the free radicals comes from plants. It helps lower inflammation which is a silent killer. There are third party certified supplements that are enzyme live dehydrated plant powders that help reach the daily requirements with PubMed Score of over 115 so you know they are bioavailable and building health. (for more information)
   
2. Eat more fiber. It helps with digestion and elimination. Animal protein sources do not have fiber, so learn to incorporate legumes, nuts and seeds in more of your meals.  Choose whole grain breads, pastas, cereal. Add a plant-based protein shake mix (that is high fiber) with lots of fruits and vegetables in the formula for an easy alternative. Make sure it is third party certified, for many protein shakes have been found to be contaminated with toxic heavy metals.
3. Our body needs good fats, and good fats do not contribute to heart disease like once was reported. Avocado, olives, nuts (esp. walnuts), seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin, sunflower) are good sources. Eggs used to have a bad rap, but now are found improve good cholesterol levels, so they can be good in moderation. An occasional serving of fatty fish such as wild caught salmon, or trout can be a source of omega 3 fats. Avoid saturated fats which are found in butter, cheese, meat, poultry skin. Especially avoid partially hydrogenated oils (often used for frying foods, baked goods, packaged snacks and desserts, microwave popcorn). Since we have a daily need for omegas, you may want to supplement with a plant based multi-omega that oils are laser sealed in capsules. Fish oil supplements are heat sealed which damages the oil, they are unable to filter out the plastic contaminants, and the overfishing (millions of metric tons each year are harvested) is causing the die off of other fish because we are harvesting their food supply. Fish get their omegas from plants, so skip the middle fish and get it from plants too!
4. Read labels. Avoid chemicals that are added to preserve or flavor, dyes, fractionated oils. Buy organic to avoid toxic chemicals sprayed on food. Look at the sugar level (keep it under 15 grams per serving) and fiber (little fiber means your body will take a harmful sugar hit). For example, fruit juices, white bread (including most pizza crusts) have had their fiber removed, so it feeds the bad bacteria. All of this is a cause of inflammation. Soon all companies will be required to note on the label how much sugar they added. Bacteria, viruses, etc. feed on sugar. It causes the immune system to go to battle, it can damage and make us insulin resistant (diabetic).. When people were claiming fat was bad, it was really sugar.  Watch for sodium levels in processed food too.
5. Practice good oral health. Our mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria that can enter in the bloodstream when gums are compromised. Get your teeth professionally cleaned on a regular schedule.
6. Know that long term stress, anger outbursts, or even a “broken heart” can be damaging to our blood vessels. Make changes to minimize stress, discharge frustration, forgive, gather emotional support, and utilize resources to cope with stress and grieve. Practice good self-care with factors you can control, good nutrition, drinking lots of water, exercise, sleep. It can be tempting to seek comfort with unhealthy food or alcohol which adds to stress. Choose instead to get out and enjoy nature, get a massage, visit a good friend, take a restful vacation, go on a retreat or listen to an inspiring speaker. Studies show laughter is helpful too.

Here’s a bonus. Limit eating out for special occasions, since it is hard to eat healthy at restaurants who liberally use butter, salt and sugar to make food taste good. If you struggle with home cooked meals, consider a meal service such as Sunbasket that does a lot of the prep work and provides easy step by step directions. (I have tried different services and was most impressed with the quality of their food and their meal selections).  And the good news is, dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa is heart healthy, just limit the treat to one or 2 squares.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. — John 14: 27  

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