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Black Health Matters > Health A-Z > Heart Disease

Category: Heart Disease

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 28 Sleep Well

Feb. 28 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

sleep for better health

Sleep—or lack thereof—has been linked to a whole host of ailments, including heart disease.

 

What Happens When You Sleep?

While you’re asleep, your body is hard at work repairing damaged tissue, regulating hormone levels and keeping your blood pressure in check. Skimp on sleep over the long haul (short spurts of sleep deprivation, the kind you suffer when you bring home a new baby, for instance, usually don’t count) and you’re at increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

 

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

You’ve heard the call for eight hours of sleep each night. But researchers at West Virginia University School of Medicine pinpoint seven as the magic number of hours needed to lower your risk of heart disease. Sleep less or, surprisingly, more, and you are more likely to develop heart disease.

 

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

If you find you’re regularly yawning by that 1 p.m. meeting, you’re in good company. A 2011 Sleep in America Poll (by the National Sleep Foundation) found that 60 percent of adults in this country say they have trouble sleeping nearly every night.

So what should you do if you toss and turn on the regular? Follow these tips:

  • Avoid caffeine after noon. (Coffee, tea, sodas and chocolate can all contain caffeine.)
  • Exercise at least five hours before you hit the hay.
  • Don’t eat heavy meals or drink alcohol within three hours of bedtime.
  • Try a relaxing bath or shower about an hour and a half before you head to bed.
  • Go to bed at the same time every day, even weekends.
  • Leave your electronic devices in another room. Even the low light emitted by laptop, tablet and cell phone screens is enough to interfere with your body clock.

When all else fails, or if disorders such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome affect your ability to sleep, talk to your doctor.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 27 Say ‘Om’

Feb. 27 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

meditate for heart healthFor a relaxed way to boost your heart health, find a quiet spot and meditate. Decades of research show the practice can alter a range of bodily functions, including respiration, blood vessel dilation and stress-hormone regulation. That, the studies say, could mean lower risks of disease, including cardiovascular disease.

Transcendental Meditation (TM), the most studied form of meditation, appears to protect against heart disease and stroke by lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and improving the functioning of blood vessel walls. In one study, men and women who practiced meditation were 30 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared to their peers.

 

A Tale of Two Groups

In another study, researchers recruited African-American participants who all suffered from heart disease. Half the participants participated in a TM program with two 20-minute meditation sessions a day. The other half learned standard heart disease prevention tips about diet and exercise.

Both groups had positive results, but those in the TM group lowered their blood pressure and experienced a 15 percent reduction in cardiovascular events. After five years, members of the TM group were 48 percent less likely to have died, or experienced a heart attack or stroke, than the other study participants.

 

The Calming Benefits of Meditation

While you might not feel the benefits of meditation immediately, you may notice later that you respond with calm to a crisis or find you’re peaceful in a situation that would normally anger you. So give this heart-healthy habit a go. Set aside 20 minutes each day, unplug and seek inner peace.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 26 Have a Glass of Red Wine With Dinner

Feb. 26 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

red wine for heart healthGo ahead and pair a cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot with your evening meal. Research shows red wine can keep you out of the cardiologist’s office. One study found resveratrol, in the skins of red grapes, prevents baby fat cells from maturing. This, in turn, might decrease obesity, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Twelve states currently have adult obesity rates that top 30 percent. A joint Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report from 2011 predicts that if we stay this course, obesity rates in those states could double by 2030.

Another study, from the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, examined red wine’s effect on the cells lining blood vessels. After 21 consecutive days of drinking red wine, the study subjects had improved cell health and blood flow.

Resveratrol also increases levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, reduces bad cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Though red wine’s heart-healthy benefits seem promising, too much of a good thing can have the opposite effect on your ticker. Moderation (defined as two five-ounce glasses of wine for men a day and one five-ounce glass for women) is key. If you have heart failure, take a daily aspirin or are pregnant, doctors say it’s best to avoid alcohol. Also note: experts say purple and red grape juices may have some of the same heart-healthy properties as their alcoholic cousin.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 25 Get an Oil Change

Feb. 25 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

olive oil for heart healthWhat’s not to love about olive oil? It tastes good and it’s packed with phenolics (plant-based compounds with anti-clotting, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties) and monounsaturated fat. This rock star superfood is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet, which is linked to better heart health.

Just two tablespoons of olive oil a day may lower your cholesterol levels and keep your arteries clear. “And some research,” says Donald Hensrud, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, “shows that monounsaturated fats may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.” Diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease.

 

Know Your Olive Oils

Pure olive oil. This is the commercial olive oil used for all-purpose cooking. It is the blandest tasting of the all of the olives, and it has the lowest nutrient level.

Light olive oil. A chemically refined mixture of lower-quality oils and virgin oil, light olive oil is great for baked goods.

Virgin olive oil. Made from slightly riper olives, virgin olive oil is a little bit more acidic than the extra-virgin kind (it costs a little less, too), but is still flavorful. It’s best for sautéing meat and vegetables.

Extra-virgin olive oil. From the first pressing of olives, extra-virgin olive oil is the highest quality. This is best used in salad dressings and marinades, not for cooking, which could damage the superior flavor and the nutrients in the oil.

 

Substituting Olive Oil for Butter

Use this chart to convert the quantity of butter called for in a recipe to the required quantity of olive oil.

Butter                                                           Olive Oil

1 teaspoon                                                  3/4 teaspoon

2 teaspoons                                                1-1/2 teaspoons

1 tablespoon                                               2-1/4 teaspoons

2 tablespoons                                            1-1/2 tablespoons

1/4 cup                                                       3 tablespoons

1/3 cup                                                        1/4 cup

1/2 cup                                                        1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons

2/3 cup                                                        1/2 cup

3/4 cup                                                       1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon

1 cup                                                             3/4 cup

Note: Store your olive oil in a cool, dark place. Make sure your container is made of tinted glass, porcelain or stainless steel (oil can absorb PCVs from plastic containers) and has a tight cap.

 

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 24 Understand Your Fats

Feb. 24 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

understand your fats for heart healthYour diet affects LDL, or bad, cholesterol. To reduce LDL levels (and lower your risk of heart disease), you must first know which fats raise it and which ones don’t. Though LDL is produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Solution: Replace saturated fat and trans fat in your diet with monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. (Check the nutrition labels on the food you buy to know how much fat and what kind of fat you’re getting.)

Follow the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee fat guidelines (for healthy Americans older than age 2)

  • Limit total fat intake to less than 25 percent to 35 percent of your total calories each day.
  • Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories.
  • Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories.
  • Make sure the remaining fat comes from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as unsalted nuts and seeds, fish (especially oily fish, such as salmon, trout and herring, at least twice per week) and vegetable oils.
  • Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams per day (if you’re healthy).  If you have heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

 

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 23 Tap Into Your Spirituality

Feb. 23 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spirituality, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

tap into your spirituality for heart healthSpirituality, defined as a way to find comfort, hope, inner peace and meaning in your life, may play a bigger role in health and healing than previously thought. The medical community can’t measure exactly how spirituality affects your health, but research shows positive beliefs, comfort and strength gained from religion, meditation and prayer can contribute to healing and a sense of well-being. Being in touch with your spirituality can make you less stressed, which reduces one risk of developing heart disease.

 

Spirituality and Health: A Brief History

In many healing traditions, including the early days of Western medicine, the body and the spirit were connected. But as science and technology grew, these considerations fell by the wayside. Now, however, with research that shows the body and spirit are somehow linked, the pendulum is swinging back.

 

Spirituality’s Influence on Health

Some spiritual practices promote a healthy lifestyle, which has a positive influence on health. One study of Seventh Day Adventists (followers are instructed not to smoke or drink alcohol) in the Netherlands found that the chance of practitioners dying from heart disease was 60 percent to 66 percent less than the national average. Researchers believe the Adventists’ healthy lifestyle contributes to the reduced risk of heart disease death.

But spirituality isn’t always about a specific religion, and all health benefits can’t be attributed to a healthy lifestyle. Some studies found that spiritual qualities and practices, such as faith, forgiveness, hope and prayer, have a beneficial effect on health. In a study of patients in coronary care units, those who were prayed for had fewer complications and death.

 

Spirituality, Health and the Future

Medical schools have added spiritual teachings to their curricula. And researchers are starting to study the spirituality-health connection in order to better understand how it works.

 

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 13 Limit Stress

 

 

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 22 Walk This Way!

Feb. 22 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

walk for heart health

Walking, just about the easiest way to be more physically active while improving your health, strengthens your heart (which makes it work more efficiently), lowers blood pressure and can improve cholesterol levels. In fact, doing this totally portable, 100 percent free activity can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 30 to 40 percent.

 

Walk the Right Way

  • If you haven’t exercised in a while, get a checkup first.
  • Start slowly, increasing gradually. The American Heart Association suggests that you aim for at least 30 minutes five times a week. It’s OK to break up that 30 minutes into two 15-minute blocks or three 10-minute blocks throughout the day.
  • Invest in a pedometer to count your steps. Make sure your shoes provide the proper support and are the right ones for walking.
  • Try to add 2,000 more steps each day than you normally walk.
  • To maximize the heart-healthy benefits of walking, walk briskly enough to increase your pulse (you should still be able to talk comfortably). Recent research shows brisk walking can reduce your risk of heart attack just as much as more strenuous aerobic exercise.
  • Find a buddy or start a local walking club. But if you must walk alone, make sure someone knows your route.
  • Keep a walking journal to track your progress.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 21 Eat Your Veggies

Feb. 21 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

veggies for heart health

For a healthy heart, you really should start a steamy love affair with the produce aisle at your grocery store. Research from the University of Oxford found that folks who eat eight or more servings a day of fruit and vegetables are 22 percent less likely to die from heart disease than people who consumed three (the average most Americans get) or less daily servings.

Past studies, such as the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, which followed 110,000 people for 14 years, linked fruit and vegetable consumption to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, but didn’t do enough to convince everyone of the heart-healthy protection provided by food from the garden. But the Oxford study, the largest of its kind, looked at the eating habits of more than 300,000 people and has tap-danced all over those doubts.

 

How Fruits and Vegetables Work on Heart Health

Doctors believe fruits and veggies protect us from heart disease in several ways:

  • They lower inflammation, a known contributor to cardiovascular disease.
  • They are chock-full of the antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that could boost heart health and low in fat and calories.
  • A diet rich in them makes you feel full, leaving less room for the bad (read: high in cholesterol, fat and salt) foods associated with higher risk of heart disease.

 

Eating Eight a Day

So what do eight servings look like? It’s about 4.5 cups. (This handy tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can calculate how many fruits and vegetables you need.) And nutrition experts say you should sample a wide variety. If you can’t find fresh produce, frozen and dried varieties work just as well.

 

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

 

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 19 Plate Your Portions Properly

28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 20 The Joy of Soy

Feb. 20 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

soy for heart healthFor the first half of the last decade, health experts promoted a diet rich in soy to protect against heart disease. Research at the time suggested 25 grams of soy protein each day could lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 8 percent.

Then, six years ago, an analysis of 22 studies concluded that 50 grams of daily soy reduced LDL cholesterol by only about 3 percent and had no effect on HDL (good) cholesterol or triglycerides.

To soy or not to soy…. Though the initial benefits of soy as it relates to protection against heart disease were overestimated, it is still low in saturated fat, making it an excellent substitute for meat and cheese. And a more recent study links the isoflavones in soy to lowered blood pressure. It is the first trial to suggest replacing refined carbohydrates with soy could treat people with pre-hypertension and stage-1 high blood pressure.

Roughly 75 million Americans have high blood pressure, a “silent killer” that can cause heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. An easy way to add isoflavones to your diet: Drink an 8-ounce glass of soy milk.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.

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28 Days of Heart-Healthy Living: Day 19 Plate Your Portions Properly

Feb. 19 Heart Disease, Our Health, Spotlight, Vitality no comments

proper portions for heart healthNo more weighing or measuring your food when you use MyPlate, the American Heart Association-approved strategy for heart-healthy meals. With MyPlate, half of your plate is filled with produce (veggies get a little more space than fruit); grains (half should be whole grains) take slightly more than a quarter of your plate; and slightly less than a quarter of your plate is comprised of protein—lean meat, skinless poultry, fish, eggs, beans. Add two to three servings of fat-free dairy products. Follow the MyPlate system and lower systolic blood pressure (the top number of your blood pressure) by as much as 11.2 points and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) by 7.5 points.

Help us count down the 28 days of Heart Health Month—and reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 92 percent—with a simple change every day.