Happy Heart
February is heart month, with Valentines Day and Family Day in the middle of the month, it’s the perfect time to learn about what makes our hearts happy. This month is used to spread awareness of heart disease and stroke prevention. With heart disease affecting 2.4 million Canadians, it is important that we have open discussions on reducing risks of heart disease and stroke for us and our loved ones.
Our heart, the body’s main muscle, beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping 2,500 to 5,000 gallons of blood thought all of the blood vessels in our body. It’s primary function is to deliver oxygen and vital nutrients to all of the cells and tissues throughout the body, while removing cellular waste at the same time. When looking at heart disease and stroke, the “silent killers” due to the fatal first sign nature, the underlying cause of both conditions is the same; atherosclerosis. This hardening of the arteries occurs due to damage in the cellular tissues along the blood vessels in the body. This is caused by a multitude of risk factors.
There are common risk factors, such as:
Smoking
Elevated blood cholesterol (LDL)
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Physical inactivity
Elevated C-reactive protein
Increased platelet aggregation
Low thyroid function
Low levels of essential fatty acids
High levels of saturated and trans-fats
Lack of social connection and support
Although some of these risk factors will be outside of any individuals control, there are some amazing ways we can focus on making our hearts happy.
One area that we do have a bit more control over is our diet. I am not talking about the next fad diet, but diet in the sense of the foods you choose to eat every day. Certain foods are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, such as saturated and trans-fats, highly processed and fried foods. Other foods have been correlated to a reduced risk of heart disease, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, health promoting fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, and fish oils, and even wine in low to moderate amounts.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while now, you’ll know that we like to talk about fiber, usually in the context of pooping and preventing pelvic floor muscle strain. But for today's topic I want to highlight fibers importance for prevention of heart disease. Soluble and in-soluble fiber are both important for the roles they play in preventing fat absorption and reducing LDL cholesterol in the blood. Less fat absorption and lower LDL cholesterol are two ways to help prevent atherosclerosis in the body, thus preventing heart disease. Fiber is the cellular plant walls, so any plant foods provide sources of fiber – fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, beans, and legumes.
Another important piece to heart disease prevention is another commonly discussed topic: stress management. Living in a chronic state of heightened stress can play a huge role in your overall health, and heart health. Click here to read a previous post on Stress Effect.
One last important factor, which tie in perfectly with February’s celebrations of Valentines day and Family day, is L vitamin. Love – love for yourself and others. The sense of community and support you receive from those around you, on an internal level, also play a role in your heart health. We are designed to live with others, making communities with those around us. This sense of community and support can play a huge role in supporting heart health.
Our hearts play an important role in all functions of the body. Focusing on habits to make our hearts happy can lead to longevity and happiness for many years to come. Finding ways to avoid common risk factors such as smoking or second hand smoke, and reducing foods high in saturated and trans-fats. While avoiding risk factors, focus on a variety of plant foods in the diet for extra fiber, find ways to mitigate stress, and overdose on the L vitamin – finding and surrounding yourself with love and support.
References:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2017/02/heart_month.html
The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, 3rd Edition, Michael T. Murray, N.D., & Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Elson M. Haas, M.D
