Happy National Heart Health Month!
Because it's February and Valentine's Day is around the corner, it's a good time to take a look at all aspects of heart health. But I'd like to talk with you about the physical heart that pumps life through your body 60-100 times per minute. A healthy heart is a happy heart when it can function the way it was designed to. We all have a heart, so let's find out how we can protect our heart's health!
The Not-So Happy News
I don't plan to spend much time on "the bad news," but let's get it out of the way first, shall we? You've probably heard the term "heart disease," but did you know that it's actually the leading cause of death in America? Heart disease represents a few heart related conditions, but coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common heart disease in our country so we're going to focus on how we can address it! Coronary artery disease occurs when there is plaque buildup or hardening of the arteries that makes it more difficult for blood to flow through. This can lead to serious events like a stroke or heart attack.
Know Your Risk
Take a look at the categories we go through here in this post and see how they apply to you- are they areas you need to see improvement in or are they areas you're already working on? Knowing your risk will show you where you can make the most impact on your heart health for the better. The truth is that we all can work on our heart health, so don't let this information overwhelm you but let it encourage you towards taking good care of that beating heart of yours.
Family History
Having a family history of heart disease increases your risk of dealing with CAD. Of course family history cannot be changed, but how you live your life and take care of your health can shift things! Having history of this disease in your family does not mean you will struggle with it in the same way, so I'd encourage you to proactively embrace heart healthy choices to keep your heart as healthy as it can be.
The Happier News
The good news about coronary artery disease is that there are things we can do to prevent CAD from hurting our hearts! There are also ways we can take good care even if CAD is already something we are dealing with. So, let's talk about what you can do now to have a healthy and happy heart.
Lifestyle Habits
Smoking
Avoid beginning smoking and/or work toward smoking cessation to help protect your heart and reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease. It's easy to write in a blog post, but I know it can be a challenge to quit smoking. Even if that's the only thing you can manage on this list, it will be worth it. Quitting smoking will you reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even death by half!
Physical inactivity
We all know that exercise is a healthy lifestyle habit, but the truth is that inactivity is not a neutral factor. Inactivity doesn't just mean that we aren't working on our heart health, it actually can contribute to negative effects in our body or make it harder for you to manage things like blood pressure and blood sugar.
We were designed for more movement than we naturally get in our modern culture! Because of that we have to intentionally think about incorporating more movement into our days if we want to reap the benefits of physical activity. Keep it simple at the start and simply aim to move more. For example, take breaks from sitting throughout your day, park farther away from the store, and begin to go for walks. The little choices for movement will add up.
Medical Conditions and Coronary Artery Disease
High Blood Pressure
Diabetes
High Cholesterol
If you currently deal with any of these diseases or conditions, one of the main things you can do to help your health is to regularly evaluate how your body is doing by visiting your physician for regular lab work and discussions about medical management. If you're on any medications, consistently taking those medications can help your body manage these conditions and reduce your risk for coronary artery disease and its complications.
Unmanaged cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure will contribute to CAD, so staying in touch with your treating physician is the first step toward supporting your heart health. Follow that healthy step by seeking nutrition support and making other habit changes as needed. When you combine nutrition and other positive choices for your health, alongside getting that medical attention, you'll be well on your way to a healthier and happier heart!
Obesity
The truth is, carrying extra weight in your body as 'overweight' or 'obesity' increases your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. So one of the most effective ways to prevent and address those conditions is by working on losing weight alongside the traditional medical interventions. Don't imagine that you have to get back to high school bodyweight before you'll see benefits though; even losing 5% of your body weight can positively impact your health when you have overweight or obesity. Small changes lead to big results over time, and even what feels like small results can have a big impact on your health!
Nutrition Support for Heart Health
It may sound obvious, but prevention is the easier route when it comes to coronary artery disease as well as the other conditions listed here. But even if you're already facing one or more of them, you haven't missed your opportunity to support your heart health! In tandem with regular physician visits, take advantage of the support of a Registered Dietitian whether you're in the prevention or treatment stages of these conditions.
For example, if your lab work at the doctor's says you have 'pre-diabetes', 'borderline high cholesterol', or your blood pressure is 'borderline-high', that's the perfect time to begin working with a Dietitian. It's also an important time to work with an RD when you've been given a confirmed diagnosis to learn more about what nutrition choices can support your health best.
I know I'm a Dietitian, excited about how an RD can help you, but it really can mean the difference in seeing improvement in your condition or progression of it, so I don't want to hold back on sharing about it!
If your BMI suggests you are dealing with 'overweight' or 'obesity,' talking with a Dietitian can be a helpful next step! An RD will help make sense of how to interpret that BMI result and can also provide a specific plan if you're ready to pursue weight loss. Nutrition can play a supportive and transformative role in all four of these conditions, so seek out a Registered Dietitian when working toward a healthier, happier heart!
Take Action Today!
The only thing on this page that you cannot make any changes to is your family history, but the rest of what we talked through is ripe for progress and change! Where you're able, choose prevention, and where you're not, choose progress. Whatever you do, know that your heart health is important and worthy of investing in. If you're reading this blog post, it's not too late- now is the time to take action to support your heart health! What area would you like to work on? What's a step you can take today to begin?
Get RD Nutrition offers programs for weight loss that can help support you toward a healthier, happier heart. If you're interested in learning more about what is available to you, check out the website and sign up for a free Discovery Call to meet Anne the Dietitian and learn more about what program would best support you with your weight loss goals!
Get RD Nutrition is a virtual nutrition counseling practice for residents of North Carolina- offering weight management support, right where you are!
Comments