Healthy Hearts

In an average lifetime, the heart continuously beats more than two and a half billion times. The heart provides the body the power needed for life - including delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body, and carrying away waste.

Unfortunately, we don't always take the best care of our valuable ticker. Cardiovascular disease including heart disease is Canada's leading cause of death. Eight out of ten Canadians have at least one of the following risk factors for heart disease: tobacco use, physical inactivity, overweight or obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. There is no question about it - Canadians are at high risk of developing heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.

Fortunately, most cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by making simple lifestyle choices. So have a change of heart, and learn which lifestyle behaviors favor a healthy heart!

"Heart-y" eating: Everyday tips for making healthy choices:

  • Eat less dietary salt or sodium. Excess sodium can result in fluid retention which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Instead of salt, substitute herbs, and spices in cooking and at the table. Also limit processed foods, which tend to be high in sodium
  • Eat foods high in fiber and soluble fiber. Soluble fiber, in particular has been shown to bind to cholesterol containing compounds in the intestine, lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiovascular
  • disease. Foods rich in soluble fibre include fruits, oats (eg. oat bran), barely and beans. As you eat more fiber remember to drink plenty of fluids to help the fiber work more efficiently
  • Limit foods high in saturated and trans fat which can raise cholesterol levels. Saturated and trans fat are found in full-fat dairy, fatty meats and fried and processed foods prepared with partially hydrogenated oils. Instead focus on eating vegetables, fruits, beans, fish, whole grains as well as non-fat dairy products and lean meats
  • Choose healthy fats. Unsaturated fats, such as Monounsaturated fatty Acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels when replacing saturated fat in the diet. Unsaturated fats are foundmainly incold water fish, nuts, seeds, avocados and oils, such as flax, canola, olive, and soybean oil. Canada's Food Guide recommends that you include a small amount 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 tablespoons) of unsaturated fat each day

Too much of anything is NOT a good thing! Remember that although unsaturated fat can help decrease cholesterol, you only need to use even the healthier ones in moderation.
Grocery shopping savvy, the heart way:

1. Remember to look at the serving size to determine the amount of food the nutrition facts are based on.

2. Look for foods that:

  • Have at least 2 grams of fiber
  • Are low in total fat, saturated and trans fat and sodium

Vegetarian Diets and heart health
There are several categories of vegetarians, all of whom avoid or seldom eat meat and/or animal products. A balanced plant based diet can be higher in fibre, folate and potassium and lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating a plant based diet may lead to improved cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, a healthier weight and less incidence of Type 2 diabetes, all of which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. (Heart and stroke foundation)

Before making any lifestyle changes, Thrifty Foods encourages you to consult a an appropriate health professional to ensure all recommendations are suitable for your specific health needs

Your heart is a muscle too…don't neglect to work it!
Regular physical activity is important in keeping your heart healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends adults get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity a day, most days of the week for heart health. Children require 60 to 90 minutes a day, most days of the week.

No time? No problem! You can do 10 minutes at a time throughout the day to reach your daily total. For example, you can take a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch hour, 10 minutes of active play with your kids after work, and another 10 minutes to walk the dog in the evening. If you're short on time, remember that any physical activity is better than none.

Did you know?
In a day, the heart propels about 5.6 liters of blood through the body about three times every minute. That means that in one day, the heart circulates blood a total of 19,000 km - that's 2.5 times the distance across Canada from coast to coast.

What about supplements?

Several herbal and vitamin supplements are available on the market. Some of these include garlic, fish and flaxseed oils (for omega-3 fatty acids), Coenzyme Q10 (also seen as CoQ10), niacin, and folic acid, among others. Research is ongoing.

Supplement

Reported Effect*

Cautions/Concerns*

Omega-3 fatty acids

Shown to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. May reduce blood clotting. May assist in decreasing blood pressure.

Talk to a trusted health professional before taking any supplements, especially if you are taking medications.

Garlic

May decrease blood clotting.

May increase risk of bleeding with large doses. Talk to a trusted health professional before taking any supplements, especially if you are taking medications.

CoQ10

Antioxidant. May protect against heart disease.

Our bodies produce it naturally, although production decreases with age.

Niacin

Lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, raises HDL (good) cholesterol.

Large doses can cause flushing. Talk to a trusted health professional before taking any supplements, especially if you are taking medications.

Folic acid

Decreases homocysteine levels in the blood (a risk factor for cardiovascular disease). Homocysteine is found naturally in the blood, high levels can damage arterial walls (high blood levels of homocysteine can be hereditary)

Talk to a trusted health professional before taking any supplements, especially if you are taking medications.

*List not meant to be exhaustive or to replace the advice of a physician. More information on vitamins and minerals is available.

When diet and exercise isn't enough

For various reasons, some people may not be able to bring their blood pressure under control. In these cases a combination of lifestyle modification and doctor-prescribed medications may be warranted. Talk to a trusted health professional about the options available to you.

Have questions?

Dietitians are a trusted source for nutrition information. For answers to nutrition questions contact Dial-A-Dietitian at 1-800-667-3438. See your doctor if you have concerns about your heart health.