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Simple lifestyle changes can
dramatically reduce risks.
FEED YOUR
HEART. A heart-healthy diet
means more than just cutting
back on fat. A two-year trial
found that a diet high in
produce, whole grains, nuts,
legumes, fish, and healthy fats
reduced artery-damaging
inflammation better than the
standard low-fat diet. It also
more successfully eliminated the
metabolic syndrome—a potent risk
for heart attack and stroke
characterized by excess belly
fat, resistance to the
blood-sugar-lowering effect of
the hormone insulin, low levels
of HDL cholesterol, and high
triglycerides, a fat that
increases coronary risk.
Finally, many people found the
diet more filling and palatable
than just cutting back on fat.
Here’s how to eat with your
heart in mind:
Get your fiber.
That can lower LDL (bad)
cholesterol, possibly by
absorbing saturated fat in the
gut. Good sources include
fruits, legumes, nuts, whole
grains, and vegetables. Soluble
fiber, found especially in
barley, beans, and oats, may be
particularly effective.
Eat fish.
The omega-3 fatty acids in fish
prevent blood clots and abnormal
heart rhythms, and lower blood
pressure and triglycerides. Aim
for two servings a week of fish
high in omega-3s but low in
mercury, such as salmon,
sardines, trout, and whitefish.
People who already have heart
disease should get 1 gram a day
of omega-3s, an amount that
usually requires fish-oil pills.
But discuss the pills with your
doctor, since high doses can
cause bleeding and other
problems.
Favor vegetable oils
high in unsaturated fat,
such as canola, olive,
safflower, and soybean oils.
Avoid trans fats,
or partially hydrogenated oil
that lurks in margarines and
many fast or packaged foods.
Trans fats raise LDL, lower HDL,
and inflame the arteries.
Limit dietary
cholesterol. If your
LDL is elevated, consume less
than 200 milligrams of
cholesterol per day--the amount
in one egg yolk, 8 ounces of
skinless chicken breast, or 10
ounces of lean sirloin. Other
people should keep their daily
consumption under 300 mg.
Cut back on salt.
A 2007 study found that people
at risk for hypertension who ate
less salt suffered 25 to 30
percent fewer heart attacks,
strokes, and invasive heart
procedures over 10 to 15 years.
Aim for less than 2,300 mg of
sodium a day, the amount in a
teaspoon of salt. If you already
have high blood pressure, try to
cut back to 1,500 mg.
Drink moderately--if
at all. A small
daily dose of alcohol can raise
HDL cholesterol, reduce
inflammation and blood clots,
and improve insulin sensitivity,
which helps ward off type 2
diabetes. But even a little too
much alcohol undermines the
heart. So if you drink, drink
moderately: one drink a day for
women, one to two for men.
Consider plant
stanols or sterols
from products such as Benecol
and Take Control margarine and
Minute Maid Heart Wise orange
juice. Consuming two servings a
day may reduce LDL by 5 to 17
percent.
GET A MOVE
ON. Regular aerobic exercise
protects against every major
cardiac risk factor. It improves
LDL and HDL cholesterol levels,
reduces blood pressure, lowers
the risk of type 2 diabetes,
controls body weight, eases
stress and depression, and may
reduce arterial inflammation.
Strength training offers some of
the same benefits, and building
muscle also boosts your
fat-burning capacity. Here are
updated recommendations from the
American Heart Association and
the American College of Sports
Medicine:
Aerobic activity.
Do at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity activity,
such as brisk walking, five days
a week, or 20 minutes of
vigorous activity, like jogging,
three days a week. Three
10-minute sessions count as a
30-minute workout.
Strength training.
Do one or two sets of exercises
involving the major muscles in
the arms, legs, and torso on two
nonconsecutive days per week.
Use sufficient resistance, from
weights or exercise bands, so
that you can do only 8 to 12
repetitions; if you’re over age
65, use less resistance so that
you can do 10 to 15 repetitions.
See a physician before starting
an exercise program if you
haven’t had a checkup in more
than two years and are over age
45 or have been physically
inactive for many years. Also
see a doctor if you have
hypertension, coronary heart
disease, diabetes, or other
chronic illnesses, or if you
regularly take blood pressure or
heart medications.
TRIM YOUR
WAIST. Excess fat, especially
around the belly, strains the
heart, raises blood pressure,
LDL, and triglycerides, lowers
HDL, causes insulin resistance,
and produces substances in the
blood that can inflame the
arteries. But you can lower your
heart disease-risk by losing as
little as 5 percent of your body
weight.
If your waist is larger than 35
inches (for women) or 40 inches
(for men), you need to lose at
least a little weight. A
Consumer Reports survey found
that most successful dieters
lost weight without expensive
programs, special foods,
supplements, or drugs. Instead,
follow the exercise and diet
plans recommended above, along
with these additional steps:
- Eat slowly, take small
portions, and avoid
seconds.
- Don’t skip meals,
especially breakfast.
- Avoid fried foods,
full-fat dairy products,
and refined
carbohydrates such as
white bread, white rice,
desserts, chips, and
soft drinks.
- Start meals with a salad
or broth- or bean-based
soup, and eat main
dishes that are full of
vegetables and fruits.
COOL YOUR
ANGER. People who have stressful
personal relationships, job
strain, or panic attacks tend to
suffer more heart attacks and
strokes, possibly because
negative emotions can unleash
hormones that trigger
heart-threatening changes. Anger
and stress, for example, speed
up the heart, raise blood
pressure, narrow and inflame
arteries, provoke abnormal heart
rhythms, and make the blood
prone to clotting. Depression
may contribute to clotting
problems, insulin resistance,
and type 2 diabetes. And curbing
such emotions may offer almost
as much heart protection as
proper diet and exercise.
Yoga, tai chi, meditation, and
measured breathing can reduce
stress. Programs that teach
those techniques are now widely
available at hospitals, medical
schools, and universities.
Regular aerobic exercise is
another effective antidote. It
provides a time-out from
unpleasant thoughts, generates
feelings of well-being, and
reduces depression.
Other helpful measures include
recording troublesome thoughts
and participating in religious
or civic activities or volunteer
work. If self-help fails or
negative emotions are
interfering with your
functioning, seek professional
help.
BE A
QUITTER. Cigarette smokers have
more than double the
heart-attack risk of nonsmokers,
but risk starts to drop as soon
as you quit. Nicotine
replacement products can ease
withdrawal. If necessary,
consider combining one of those
products, especially the patch,
with the antidepressant
bupropion (Zyban and generic),
which may stimulate some of the
same brain chemicals as
nicotine. But monitor your blood
pressure if you take bupropion,
since the combination can cause
it to spike.
(This article first appeared in the
February 2008 issue of
Consumer Reports on Health.)
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