February is all about the heart!
In the USA, National Heart Health day is February 3rd where everyone is encouraged to wear red and seek out education on fighting heart disease. This is an important topic especially as heart disease is now the leading cause of death in UK, Canada and USA.
The biggest category of heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) which is the one caused by lifestyle. Whereas this is scary it can also give hope as we always have the choice to make changes to our lifestyles and therefore reduce the risk of CAD.
Now if you are already thinking that a change in lifestyle already seems like a big challenge, please keep reading because you don't always have to be extreme in your changes. In fact, extreme changes are often the reason that people don't stick to their new habits, so rather choose a few things from the list below that you think sound reasonable, then as and when you are ready add more habits to your lifestyle. Remember that even small changes can start to reduce your risk of heart disease and as you continue on your journey you may even find that the lifestyle changes are not as scary or boring as you expected.
STOP SMOKING
We all know that smoking is bad for us and we also know that it is especially bad for our heart and lung health. Is there really any more to say?
HEALTHY EATING
There is no getting away from it - diet is the best way to improve our overall health and our weight. I would love to tell you that you can eat what you want and just exercise a lot but unfortunately it doesn't work that way LOL. However a healthy
way of eating doesn't mean bland. It just means maybe reducing some of the unhealthier options for something less unhealthy. Here are some ways to help your heart through diet.
Slowly reduce the amount of salt you use
Gradually minimize your sugar intake
Increase your fruit and vegetables - the fiber is important
Reduce red and dark meats (beef, lamb, chicken thighs) for other lean proteins like fish, chicken breast, beans, nuts and seeds
Reduce how much dairy you eat / drink - these days there are so many great alternatives so perhaps try a nut milk or a coconut cream
Replace your canola oil and butter with coconut, olive or avocado oil
Introduce supplements that are specifically for heart health - Omega Oils
HYDRATION
Staying hydrated helps our hearts more easily pump blood around our bodies - just one of the many benefits of drinking more water.
So.... try these tips to help you increase your water intake:
Add lemon / lime / mint / orange slices to your water if you aren't crazy about drinking water on its own
Keep a big glass of water next to your bed and attempt to drink half of it before bed and the second half as soon as you wake up
Keep a reusable bottle of water with you at all times - at your work station, in your car and even when shopping
Put a reminder on your phone every hour to drink a bit of water
Replace some of your soda / juice intake with water
One of the concerns people have when hydrating is that they will need to use the rest room more frequently - however whereas that is true at the beginning, our bodies quickly get used to the additional water and retain it for longer. The temporary annoyance will soon pass!
SLEEP
Did you know that every year when the clocks change there is either a surge or a decline
in heart attacks the following day? When our sleep is not of good quality, our hearts of one of the first organs to feel the strain. Therefore finding ways to improve your sleep will have a direct impact on your heart. Here are some things to try:
Create a bedtime routine - this trains our brains that it is time to sleep
Put all electronics away an hour before you want to go to sleep
Have clean bedding
Use essential oils like lavender and rosemary in a diffuser or on a cotton swab in your pillow
Switch all lights off - our bodies rest more effectively in complete darkness
If you cannot sleep move to another room - this helps our brains only associate our bedrooms with sleep
Reduce / stop your use of alcohol as it has a big impact on your sleep cycle
EXERCISE
When looking to strengthen your cardiovascular system (heart & lungs), the form of exercise that is effective is anything that gets your heart rate up. So think of any activity that you find fun and bring it into your routine. If your current lifestyle is fairly sedentary, then start with an hour a week (divided into two halves) and when you are ready increase the occurrences.
E.g. of cardio exercise:
Brisk walking
Swimming
Running
Basketball
Rollerskating / rollerblading
Dancing
Tennis / pickleball
Kickboxing / boxing
Soccer
Football
Tabata / HIIT
The actual exercise isn't as important as just exercising. So find something that you enjoy and if you have a friend or family member to join you..... even better!
STRESS RELIEF
It will come as no surprise that stress is a leading contributor to heart disease - so managing your stress is key to reducing your risk. The good news is that everything listed above will already assist you in lowing your stress levels - but there is even more that you can do. Here are some additional ideas for you to try:
Meditation - there are so many different types of meditation and they don't all result in your having to clear your mind.
Practice mindfulness - the act of being in the moment
Get into nature
Have fun - laughter is a great stress relief
Try yoga not just for the physical exercise but for the life lessons that help with every day stress
Breathwork - taking deep breaths throughout the day are an effective way to reset the mind
Hang out with friends - studies show that having friends actually reduce our stress levels (assuming you aren't just talking about what stresses you!)
Creativity! We all have a creative side to us. It is usually something that we enjoyed as children. Explore your creative side and feel the stress melt away.
We hope that this blog has helped you get some ideas on how to reduce your risk of CAD and we would love to hear what you are trying and if it is helping.
So get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss any area of your journey.
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