Heart Health Month: Taking a Proactive Approach to Heart Health

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

February is Heart Health Month. Last year we took a look at heart health risk factors and what employers can do to help support their employees. This year we are taking a proactive approach to heart health! What are some things that you can do now to keep your heart healthy in the future?

First, start by taking the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s risk assessment. This assessment will let you know the risk factors in your life that are controllable and non-controllable and will give you resources and motivation to help you make changes. Answer the questions honestly to receive true results. They will also send you an e-mail with your results so that you can review them later on and set goals for yourself.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Risk Assessment outlines several factors that contribute to a healthy heart. These include healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management.

1) Heart Healthy Eating

How can a healthy diet help your heart? It lowers your risk by¹:

• improving your cholesterol levels
• reducing your blood pressure
• helping you manage your body weight
• controlling your blood sugar

A heart-healthy diet incorporates WHOLE and NATURAL foods rather than PROCESSED foods. A good visual to think about is the food around the perimeter of your grocery store. Although there are processed foods mixed into the perimeter, this is where food like fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains, meats and dairy products are kept.

Fill up your grocery cart with fresh vegetables and fruits, aiming for 7-10 servings per day. Add some whole grains such as brown or wild rice, oatmeal or whole grain bread. Finally, top your cart off with some protein! This can include fish, beans and lentils, tofu, dairy products and lean meat. When selecting dairy, choose options that are lower in fat and unflavoured. It is important to eat protein every day, and there are many different (and delicious) ways to incorporate protein into your diet.²

2) Heart Healthy Activity

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity.³

What type of physical activity is best? Anything that makes you move your body and burns calories! This can include walking, jogging, swimming, biking, climbing stairs or joining a recreational sports team. As long as you are out there and moving your body as recommended, your heart will thank you.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says that “when done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle. This improves your heart’s ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body. As a result, more blood flows to your muscles, and oxygen levels in your blood rise.”⁴

3) Heart Healthy Stress Management

Although there is not a well-defined link between day-to-day stress and heart disease, the way that individuals act when under stress can be linked to heart disease. This includes unhealthy behaviours such as over-indulging in alcohol or smoking or turning to comfort foods like pizza or chips to “manage” stress.⁵

What are some things that you can do to help manage stress, rather than turning to unhealthy options?

• Get enough sleep. Not sleeping enough can only cause more problems. Try to work on getting to bed at a decent time. If you are having problems sleeping because of stress, then try some relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or relaxing sounds.⁶
• Release those endorphins that will put you in a better mood! This doesn’t mean you have to hit up the gym every night, but a fun hike on the weekend or a morning walk a few times a week can help.⁷
• Confront stressful situations head-on. If you deal with the stressor immediately, it will have less of an impact on your health. Learn to recognize when you are stressed and talk about how you are feeling right away!⁸
• Engage in stress-busting activities! The American Heart Association gives a great list of stress-busting activities that you can enjoy.⁹ Such as:
  • Make art – draw, color, paint or play music
  • Read a book, short story or magazine
  • Try a new hobby like sewing or knitting
  • Take a walk in nature
  • Take a relaxing bath
  • Meditate or practice yoga
  • Work in the garden or try a home improvement project

You CAN be proactive when it comes to your heart health. Take a hard look at your habits, and make the necessary changes to keep your heart healthy for years to come.

“The greatest wealth is health.” – Virgil

Sources

1. 1. 1. Heart and Stroke Healthy Eating Basics
      2. Heart and Stroke Healthy Eating Basics
      3. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Fitness
      4. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Physical Activity and Your Heart
      5. Harvard Health Publishing: Stress and Your Heart
      6. Harvard Health Publishing: Stress and Your Heart
      7. Harvard Health Publishing: Stress and Your Heart
      8. Apex: National Stress Awareness Day
      9. American Heart Association: Three Tips to Manage Stress

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