Reason #39 I want to lose weight: My heart

(Note: I actually had this post written up and scheduled to go live today before I learned about national Wear Red Day last Friday – I suppose I should have posted this a few days sooner, oh well… I guess it still works since February is American Heart Month)

We all know that being overweight isn’t exactly good for us. But being overweight also greatly increases your risk for heart disease. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death, but there is good news:

“Of all heart disease we experience, 80 percent is preventable.”

Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz,
Director of the Women’s Heart Center and
Preventive and Rehabilitative Cardiac Center,
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles

While heart disease is largely preventable, it still effects far too many of us. My uncle (who’s always been a pretty big guy) had a heart attack in his early 40′s. It was a big wake up call for him at the time, but I’m sad to say that for the most part, he’s back to his old ways, measuring 6’6″ tall but weighing well over 300 pounds.

I’m not going to wait for a heart attack to be my wakeup call. I’m going to do something about it now. Obviously, losing weight and being active is a great start, but what else can you do to improve your heart health? Here’s a list of tips I put together from a number of different sources:

• Stop smoking. Quitting smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to live longer. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker.
• Cut down on salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
• Lower your alcohol consumption. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. However, drinking a little bit of alcohol—one drink a day for women, one or two a day for men—can raise HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce inflammation and blood clots.
• Eat plenty of fiber and good fat. New research suggests that inflammation of the arteries may be as big a risk factor for heart disease as clogging with cholesterol deposits. And a high-fiber diet featuring plenty of beneficial fats proved better at controlling that damaging inflammation than the standard low-fat diet, according to a recent two-year clinical trial. Good sources of fiber include fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, barley, beans, and oats. As for fat, choose high-omega-3 but low-mercury fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout, and vegetable oils such as canola, olive, safflower, and soybean.
• Eat more lean meats. Cutting back on animal protein, including red meat — a source of cholesterol-boosting saturated fats and naturally occurring trans fats — is recommended in heart-healthy diets because it can increase artery-clogging lipids in the blood. Easy substitutions include fish, skinless poultry, beans, and legumes. Fish in particular is beneficial for your heart. Two servings per week of fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids — for example, salmon and herring — reduces your risk of dying of a heart attack by a third or more.
• Calm down. Negative emotions, such as stress or panic attacks, trigger the release of hormones that can threaten your heart; studies show that people who experience those troubles have more heart attacks and strokes than calmer, more cheerful types. Curbing negative emotions is almost as good for your heart as proper diet and exercising.

Sources:

• Top 10 tips for a healthy heart (Guardian)
• Ten tips for a healthy heart (Consumer Reports)
• Tips for a Healthy Heart (Everyday Health)

Here’s hoping that everyone has a heart healthy February (and beyond)!