Healthy Eating » Healthy Living » Heart Health

Heart Health: What Really Matters

Did you know …

  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S.?
  • About 600,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. every year, accounting for one in every four deaths?1 
  • Every year about 720,000 Americans have a heart attack?2
  • Coronary heart disease alone costs the U.S. $108.9 billion each year?3

Not only does heart disease result in an immense financial cost for health care services, medications, and lost productivity, it results in significant pain, debilitation and loss of quality of life. 

Obviously, prevention is key to heart health. So, what are the key components to maintaining a healthy heart throughout life? You may be surprised at what is … and what is not so … important, as the conventional wisdom on maintaining a healthy heart has changed.

What Experts Agree On

Healthy Eating


A balanced eating pattern with foods from all five food groups is
key to preventing disease + promoting a healthy life style. One such pattern is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet.

A number of studies have found the DASH eating plan—a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods, with reduced saturated and total fat—can substantially lower blood pressure. This eating plan, originally published in 1997, not only reduces blood pressure, it can also lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.9

Some specifics:

  • The blood-pressure lowering effect of the DASH Diet is stronger in those with mild hypertension and in certain ethnic groups (such as African-Americans).
  • The DASH diet seems to be as effective as some medications at lowering blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. 
  • A low-sodium DASH diet may have even greater effects on blood pressure.

Researchers estimate that if all Americans followed the DASH diet heart disease cases would be reduced by 15 percent and stroke by 27 percent nationwide. That translates into 225,000 fewer heart attacks and 100,000 fewer strokes every year.10

Best of all, the plan is based on normal, convenient foods and simple recipes … no special dietary supplements or foods are needed.  For more information on this very effective dietary pattern, including servings from each food group based on energy needs, click here. 

Read more on healthy eating with the DASH Diet.
Physical
Activity

Add in Exercise
While at Work, Home
or On-the-Go

At Work: Aerobic + Cardiovascular

  • Skip the elevator, take the stairs. 
  • Walk over to talk to a co-worker instead of sending an email. 
  • Take a break and jog in place or pace while talking on the phone. 
  • Turn your next meeting into a walking meeting. You can walk and talk just as productively.
On the Go
 

At Work: Weight + Strength Training

  • Do wall push-ups during your next break to tone your arms.
  • Slide down a wall into a sitting position and hold it as long as you can.
  • Do three sets of ten bicep curls with the office hole punch or stapler.
  • Strengthening your thigh and hip muscles is as easy as lifting your leg. From a sitting position, raise one leg at a time, toes pointing to the ceiling.
  • Put a water bottle between your knees and squeeze, but not so hard that it pops!
  • Stand in front of a small trash can and lift your legs to tap your toes on the top edge, alternating feet.
  • Keep a stress ball at your desk, and squeeze it while on the phone.
 

At Work: Stretching + Flexibility

  • Reach for the sky in between completing tasks on the computer.
  • Use the stairs or the curb outside to help stretch your calves and wave to passers-by.
  • Put your chin to your chest to stretch out that tense neck and take a breather.
  • Stretch your legs out under your desk, flexing your feet so your heels point forward and your toes point up.
  • Put your arms straight out to the sides and make small circles.
 On the Go
 

At Work: Balance

  • While waiting at the copier, try standing on one leg, then the other.
  • Sit on a yoga ball instead of a chair.
  • Waiting in line at the cafeteria? Work on standing as straight as you can and shift your weight from foot to foot.
 On the Go
 

At Home: Aerobic + Cardiovascular

  • Be productive and burn calories while vacuuming the house.
  • Practice your hula skills while watching commercials.
  • Romp with the dog or the kids in the yard.
  • Paint the living room that color you’ve always wanted.
  • Put the remote control by the TV so you have to get up every time you want to change the channel.
 On the Go
 

At Home: Weight + Strength Training

  • Re-organize the pantry and do a few bicep curls with each can.
  • Drop and do five push-ups every time you complete a task.
  • Do lunges to get from the living room to the kitchen.
  • Need a break? Slide down your wall in the hallway until you’re in a sitting position and enjoy a few pages of a good book.
  • Not done reading that book? Put it on the floor and hold a plank above it.
 On the Go
 

At Home: Stretching + Flexibility

  • Dust in those hard-to-reach high corners.
  • Reading a newspaper? Put it on the floor and do a forward bend to touch your toes.
  • Have a little extra time? YouTube some instructional yoga videos.
 On the Go
 

At Home: Balance

  • Stand on one foot then the other while washing dishes. Be careful not to break anything!
  • Do the tree pose in front of the TV.
  • Be a kid again, and do a handstand against the wall.
  • Dance! Dancing can improve cardiovascular fitness, add strength and improve balance!
 On the Go
 

On-the-Go: Aerobic + Cardiovascular

  • Park farther away from your errands and enjoy the walk.
  • Walk to your destination like you’re in a hurry.
  • Take the stairs whenever possible.
  • See a park? Stop for a stroll, or maybe a quick jog.
  • Look for the best deal. Instead of online shopping, go to the mall and shop around!
 On the Go
 

On-the-Go: Weight + Strength Training

  • Buying groceries? Do arm curls with the bags before you put them in the car.
  • Get off the bus a few stops earlier and walk or jog the rest of the way.
  • Sitting on a bench waiting for the bus? Do a few bench dips.
  • Do toe raises while waiting in lines or before you get in your car.
  • Suck it in! Sitting in the car is a great place to draw your belly button in toward your spine, hold and repeat.
 On the Go
 

On-the-Go: Stretching + Flexibility

  • Stretch your calves on the curb.
  • Riding on a train/bus/commuter car? Reach your arms over your head and lean to either side.
  • Find a drop-in yoga place on your daily route and give it a try.
  • Keep an exercise band in your purse or pocket and use it while waiting in line or in transit.
  • Stuck in traffic? Put your hands at the 10 and 2 positions, then round and straighten your back.
 On the Go
 

On-The-Go: Balance

  • Stand on one foot then the other while waiting in line.
  • Walk along the curb and channel your inner gymnast.
  • Try walking on painted lines in parking lots, just stay alert for cars!
On the Go
 

Heart Health Controversy

Reducing Saturated Fats

For full article, click here.


Reducing Sodium Intake

Read full story.


Hot Topic

POTASSIUM

If you want a heart healthy diet, be sure you’re eating potassium-rich foods. Learn more about this key nutrient in heart health and foods high in potassium here.

What Experts Agree on

Healthy Weight + Physical Activity

What Experts Agree On: Achieving a Healthy Weight

woman on scale become a healthy weightOverweight and obesity are two of the biggest factors leading to heart disease. People who are overweight (have a BMI of 25 or greater) have a higher risk of heart attack than those at a healthy weight.4  Data from the Framingham Heart Study and other studies indicate that the degree of overweight is directly related to the development of coronary heart disease.5

This is particularly true in people who are overweight around their middle—who have ‘apple-shaped’ bodies. Visceral fat—fat around the abdomen—is correlated to heart disease more than subcutaneous fat, due to its metabolism. As a result, leading experts propose that a 40-inch waist in men and 35-inch waist in women predict an increased risk for heart disease.6

Experts say that even a small amount of weight loss—dropping as little as 5 to 10 percent of one’s current weight—can greatly improve one’s risk of heart disease.6

For a quick and easy assessment of body weight status and current diet, and suggestions on how to improve, use the Healthy Eating Planner. 

Physical Activity Resources

References

  1. Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final data for 2010 Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2013;61(4). http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf.
  2. Go AS, Mozaffarian D, Roger VL, Benjamin EJ, Berry JD, Blaha MJ, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2014 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2014 ;128.
  3. Heidenreich PA, Trogdon JG, Khavjou OA, et al. Forecasting the future of cardiovascular disease in the United States: a policy statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2011;123:933-44. Epub 2011 Jan 24.
  4. http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/113/6/898.full.
  5. Kannel,W.B., D’Agostino R.B., Cobb J.L. Effect of weight on cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr March 1996vol. 63 no. 3 419S-422S.
  6. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/risk.htm.
  7. http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2014/04/15/bjsports-2013-093090.abstract.
  8. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/American-Heart-Association-Recommendations-for-Physical-Activity-in-Adults_UCM_307976_Article.jsp.
  9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25430608.
  10. http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr97/nhlbi-16.htm.

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