Taking Charge: An Action Plan for Heart Health

April 26, 2023 at 6:51 am

The last several weeks in our Guide to a Healthy Heart we have spent time talking about risk factors. What they are and how they affect your heart health. Understanding what your risk factors for heart disease will help you and your healthcare team create a plan of action. According to research you can greatly reduce your heart disease risk, by a much 82%! It is never too late to start reducing your risks by adopting sensible health habits. In a recent study it was shown that leading a healthy lifestyle reduces the chance of dying from heart disease by nearly two-thirds among people ages 70-90.

What is leading a healthy lifestyle?

The simple answer is a nutritious diet, physical activity, healthy weight and do not smoke. To keep your heart strong, it is important to adopt these four lifestyle habits.

If you have other health concerns, you may need to take additional steps to prevent heart disease. If you have diabetes you will need to keep your blood sugar levels under control.

Eating a nutritious diet, controlling your weight, and moving more will help to control your blood sugar levels and help to reduce your chance of developing high blood pressure or cholesterol.

Whatever your current health condition or habits, talk to your doctor about a plan to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Choose Healthy Foods

A healthy heart needs a healthy diet. The “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” offers two examples of eating plans to choose from, and also includes advice for overall health and food safety. These guidelines encourage you to:

Choose a variety of grains daily; half of your daily grains should come from whole grains.
Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.
Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
Choose foods and beverages that are low in added sugar.
Choose and prepare foods with little salt.
If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.
Aim for a healthy weight.
Be physically active most days.
Balance the calories you take in with the calories you expend through physical activity.
Keep foods safe to eat.

For tips on getting regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight visit some of our previous articles

Getting Extra Support

While the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer an excellent “basic menu” for heart health, you may need to make some additional changes in your diet if you have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.

Talk with your healthcare provider about changes you can make to your diet. They may recommend that you work with a registered dietitian to teach you about the eating plan that is best for you. Ask your doctor about whether you should get a referral to a registered dietitian. In the meantime, if you have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol, here are some guidelines:

Blood Pressure and the DASH Eating Plan

If you have high blood pressure or prehypertension, you may want to follow an eating plan called DASH. DASH stands for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” and the eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole-grain foods, and low-fat milk products. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, protein, and fiber, but low in saturated fat, trans fat, total fat, and cholesterol. It limits red meat, sweets, and beverages with added sugars.

Studies have shown that people who followed the DASH plan reduced their blood pressure more than those that ate a more typical diet with fewer fruits and vegetables. Another study found that people who followed the DASH eating plan and cut down on sodium had the biggest reductions in blood pressure. (Salt, or sodium chloride, and other forms of sodium are found in many processed foods. More salt is often added to food during cooking and at the table.) So, for a truly winning combination, follow the DASH eating plan and lower your sodium intake as much as possible.

Although geared towards people with prehypertension or high blood pressure, it is a healthy diet plan for everyone who wants to lead a heart healthy lifestyle. If you have normal blood pressure and follow the DASH plan, you will lessen your chance of developing high blood pressure. 90 percent of middle-aged Americans go on to develop high blood pressure. Use the DASH plan and consume less sodium to help beat those odds. Download the DASH Eating Plan

Please Do not Pass the Salt: How To Reduce Salt and Sodium in Your Diet

You can help prevent and control high blood pressure by cutting down on salt and other forms of sodium. Try to consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) per day from all the foods you eat. If you can, cut your sodium intake even more—to no more than 1,500 mg per day, which equals about two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt. Here are some tips on limiting your intake of salt and other forms of sodium:

Use reduced-sodium or no-salt-added products. Examples are no-salt-added canned vegetables or ready-to-eat cereals that have no added salt, or the lowest amount of sodium listed on the Nutrition Facts panel on the food label.
When you cook, be “spicy” instead of “salty.” Flavor foods with herbs, spices, wine, lemon, lime, or vinegar. Be creative!
Do not bring the salt shaker to the table. Try an herb substitute instead, such as powdered garlic, onion, or thyme.
Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned, smoked, or processed types.
Cut down on cured foods (such as bacon and ham), foods packed in brine (such as pickles and olives), and condiments (such as mustard, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and monosodium glutamate). You should even limit lower sodium versions of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.
Read the Nutrition Facts label on the food package and choose convenience foods that are lower in sodium. These foods include frozen dinners, pizza, breads, packaged mixes, canned soups and broths, and salad dressings.
Rinse canned foods, such as tuna and canned beans, to remove some of the sodium.

While salt substitutes containing potassium chloride may be useful for some individuals, they can be harmful to people with certain medical conditions. Ask your doctor before trying salt substitutes.

In August 2021 we offered great alternatives to adding salt while cooking or at the table in our article titled Salt is NOT the only seasoning!

Another Way To Control Blood Pressure

Mineral rich foods can help keep your blood pressure levels in check. A diet rich in potassium can prevent and help control your blood pressure. A potassium rich diet can blunt the effects of salt on blood pressure and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and decrease bone loss with age.

Calcium and magnesium are two other minerals that may help to prevent high blood pressure and may improve your health in other ways.

Be sure to get your potassium from foods, not supplements. Many fruits and vegetables, some dairy foods, and fish are rich sources of potassium.

Low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products are rich sources of calcium, while magnesium is found in many whole-grain products; dark green, leafy vegetables; fish; and dry beans.

Before starting any diet or exercise it is important to talk to your doctor about what is right for you. Your healthcare team will help guide you in living a heart healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Bobish

Dr. Bobish and her team’s goal is to help you reduce your risk of heart disease. Helping you to understand your risk factors and make healthful lifestyle changes.

Remember regardless of age or current state of health it is never too late to start protecting your heart. It is also never too soon and the sooner you act the better. Follow us on Facebook to see our latest post helping to keep you heart healthy. You can also explore all our articles that offer diet and exercise tips, recipes and information on procedures and heart disease.

Dr. Bobish and her team focus on preventative care and are here to support you. Alpine Cardiology provides patients with education as well as compassionate care and treatment. We are committed to keeping you healthy and heart smart! Request an appointment at 989-448-7002

Guide to a Healthy Heart

We are committed to keeping Northern Michigan healthy and heart-smart!

Over the next several months we will be publishing a series of articles that will become A Guide to a Healthy Heart. By breaking these guidelines into chapters we are able to offer more in depth information on the topics. Watch our Facebook page or website for the latest article.

Alpine Cardiology’s goal is to give you a better understanding of how to live a healthy lifestyle and to take care of your heart. To take the mystery out of what the tests are and what they mean. To encourage you to talk to your healthcare provider about your risk factors and how to reduce your risk. The more you know and understand the more likely you are to be successful in reducing risk and having a healthier lifestyle.

Links to published chapters are below if you would like to explore the guide more.