February is Heart Month!

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This February is Heart Month in Canada. Promoted by Health Canada, this month aims to raise awareness for heart-related illnesses and causes, while encouraging Canadians to take steps to improve upon their own heart health.

The significance of Heart month is still not lost on Canadians, as Heart disease is still one of the leading causes of death in Canada. It is estimated that approximately 600,000 Canadians live with heart failure.

Fortunately, we can all reduce the risk of heart disease by making healthier lifestyle choices, including quitting smoking, eating a healthy and balanced diet, getting the proper amount of sleep, exercising regularly and monitoring our blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Throughout the month of February, we will be sharing heart-healthy tips on our blog, as well as on our social media channels to help you to improve your heart health. Below are some key heart health tips that you should aim to keep all year round.

Heart Healthy Tips

  1. DO NOT SMOKE: if you have never smoked, don’t start. If you do smoke, quit. You will increase your life by 5 years for every year you are smoke free.
  2. Enjoy a balanced, nutritious diet. Limit fat intake to between 15% and 30% of your total number of daily calories.
  3. Exercise regularly, 20 minutes 3-4 times per week, or a minimum of a brisk walk daily.
  4. Moderate your intake of alcohol. Guidelines by Health Canada suggest limits of two drinks per day…either 12 oz. Beer, or 5 oz. Wine or 1.5 oz. Spirits.
  5. Limit your intake of salt and caffeine. (No more than the equivalent of four regular cups of coffee per day.)
  6. Try to get 8 hours of sleep each night.
  7. Have regular check-ups with your physician. Early detection is the key to a successful solution.
  8. Keep a positive attitude and wear a smile… it takes only 22 muscles to smile, but 37 to frown.
  9. Make time for leisure activities such as reading, hobbies, sports, TV etc.
  10. Invest in CPR and AED education and training, and encourage your family and friends to do the same.

Ten Essential Foods For A Heart Healthy Diet

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Understanding what types of heart-healthy foods to incorporate into your diet can be a confusing process. There are many articles online stating that certain foods or diet fads can benefit you; but who’s to know what is real and what isn’t? Fortunately for us, our Registered Dietitian, Marsha Rosen, has curated a list of heart-healthy foods that are highly beneficial for your diet.

Your list of foods for a balanced diet should include a variety of choices from all food groups.

Here are some excellent suggestions to begin with and build on.

10 Heart Healthy Foods

Salmon – Salmon and other fatty fish like mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring, trout and arctic char; are extremely good for heart health as they contain plenty of omega-3 fats, which can help to lower the risk of heart disease. It’s recommended that you aim to eat at least 2 servings of fish a week.

There are three types of omega-3 fats:

  • ALA (alpha-linolenic acid)
  • EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
  • DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

All three types of omega-3 fats are important to have in your diet.

Other foods that contain omega-3 fats include:

  • Eggs
  • Margarine enriched with the omega-3 fat DHA – made with fish oil
  • Yogurt – fortified with Omega-3
  • Soy beverage – Omega-3 fortified
  • Soybeans – edamame

Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a high in soluble fibre, which can help to lower cholesterol. It’s recommended that you avoid eating instant oatmeal, as it often will contain sugar, and instead opting for traditional old-fashioned oats.

Berries – Berries such as strawberries and blueberries are believed to carry antioxidants that help to decrease blood pressure and dilate blood vessels. This is attributed to the benefit of compounds known as anthocyanins, and flavonoids.

Potatoes – Although potatoes can be more challenging to your heart healthy dining, if you don’t deep fry them, they can be extremely good for your heart. They’re rich in potassium and high in fibre (if the skin is left on), which again, can help lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

Tomatoes – Similar to potatoes, tomatoes are high in heart-healthy potassium. Plus they’re a good source of the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may help to get rid of “bad ” cholesterol, keep blood vessels open and lower heart attack risk.

Nuts – Any nuts that you consume are good for your heart fibre (As long as they’re not salted or contain added oils or fats), and also contain vitamin E, which helps to lower bad cholesterol.

Legumes – Legumes such as dried beans, peas and lentils, are an excellent source of protein without a lot of added fat.

Broccoli, spinach and kale – When it comes to your heart health, you can’t go wrong with vegetables. Green vegetables like broccoli, spinach or kale can give an extra boost to your heart. These are high in carotenoids, which act as antioxidants and can free your body of potentially harmful compounds. They’re also high in fibre and contain lots of vitamins and minerals.

Flax seeds – Flax seeds as well as chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and fibre content.

Avocado – These soft, tasty fruits will provide your body and heart with plenty of healthy fats. They’re composed of monounsaturated fats, high in antioxidants, and also contain potassium to help lower heart disease factors.

And finally:

When following these healthy food options, remember that those that are higher in fat – nuts, seeds, fatty fish, oils, even though they are heart-healthy fats, can work against you. How can that be?? If your portions of these foods are too large it can lead to unwanted weight gain which again will contribute to a less healthy you. Follow Canada’s Food Guide for suggested serving sizes.

Reasons to go Vegetarian for your heart health

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Although it’s not necessary to adopt a vegetarian diet for a heart healthy lifestyle, it can certainly be beneficial to follow it in some ways. Doctors often will recommend having a healthy amount of vegetables and fruits in your diet, especially in cases where you have high cholesterol, as a plant based diet can decrease plaque in the blood vessels.

The good news for anyone who is an avid meat eater is that you don’t have to completely quit eating meat to reap the benefits of a plant based diet. Simply reducing the amount of animal products in your diet lowers your risk of high blood pressure.

Below are just some of the ways that having a plant based diet can improve your heart health.

Plants have less saturated fat

Saturated fats, or fats that are saturated with hydrogen, are typically solid at room temperature and are found in meat and animal products like beef, lamb, butter, cheese and high fat dairy products. According to the American Heart Association, eating saturated fats increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood, which in turn raises your risk for heart disease.

Plants Increase Fiber in Your Diet

A well-rounded, plant based diet should also increase the amount of fiber you get. And increasing fiber is one way to reduce the bad cholesterol circulating in your body.

Fiber interacts with the bad cholesterol in your digestive tract and helps remove it more quickly from your body. Some rich fiber foods include beans, lentils, fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Fruits and Veggies Lower Blood Pressure

A well known and often recommended diet to people with hypertension is the DASH diet, which has a focus on reducing the intake of sodium, but it also helps to reduce the amount of meat regularly eaten. With a focus on eating more fruits and vegetables, and to only eat 5 ounces of protein based foods daily it’s a great option for your heart health.

Plants Enrich Your Diet With Omega-3s

Studies have suggested that eating omega-3 fatty acids can reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and it can also help to lower your cholesterol. Fish like salmon sardines and tuna are rich with these acids. If you’re looking for alternatives to these though, we recommend plant based foods like pumpkin seeds, canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, and flaxseeds.

Beneficial Nutrients

Along with helping to reduce risks of heart disease by cutting down the plaque build up made up from bad cholesterol, fruits and vegetables are chocked full of antioxidants, plant sterols, and potassium, which are all thought to reduce the risk of heart disease. Potassium helps to reduce the effects of sodium, which is known to raise blood pressure in the body.

If you’re looking for some great recipes to help maintain a heart healthy diet, just go to our recipes section here.

Heart Healthy Tips For Shoveling

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Winter yard work

With much of the country already experiencing plenty of snowfalls this winter, we thought that it would be a good time to talk about how the cold weather can increase the risk of a heart attack or a sudden cardiac arrest. More importantly how you can protect your heart and reduce that risk.

Although shoveling can seem like an easy chore, it can easily become a strenuous activity leaving you with plenty of fatigue. Lifting snow with a shovel back and forth across a driveway can take a lot out of those who are not regularly active. This can also be the case for those who have snowblowers, as the act of pushing the heavy machine can cause the same amount of strain.

In addition to the activity, the cold weather is another contributor to an increased risk as it can boost blood pressure, interrupt blood flow to part of the heart and make blood more likely to form clots.

Follow our tips below to make sure that you’re well prepared for shoveling your home this winter.

Before you shovel snow

  • If you’re recovering from a recent heart attack or have any doubts about shoveling affecting your health, please contact a doctor.
  • Look to avoid shoveling early on in the morning. Your blood is more prone to clotting due to the lower temperature. Aim to do it at a warmer point of the day if possible.
  • Do not eat a heavy meal before shoveling, as your blood will be diverted from the heart to the stomach.
  • Treat shoveling like a workout and warm up your body before you begin. Even something as simple as walking to the end of the street will be beneficial.
  • Do not drink coffee or smoke for at least one hour before or one hour after shoveling. These are stimulants and elevate your blood pressure and heart rate.

While shoveling snow

  • Use a small shovel that you can comfortably handle, rather than one that can pick up a lot of snow. Having a smaller shovel will allow for more loads, and won’t stress out your body.
  • Give yourself a lot of time to shovel. Plan to make frequent, 15-minute breaks.
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Dress in the appropriate amount of layers. Dress so you avoid hypothermia, but not too much and overheat. You could sweat a lot with too much clothing, which could result in the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for.
  • Make sure to cover your head and your neck.
  • Cover your mouth (breathing cold air can cause angina or trigger breathing problems).
  • Watch for the stereotypical signs of a heart attack: lightheadedness, dizziness, being short of breath or if you have tightness or burning in chest, neck, arms or back. If you or you think someone is having a heart attack, call 911 right away.

We hope that you’ve found these tips valuable. Stay safe and happy shoveling!

Tips on how to regulate your sleep for better heart health

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Keeping a proper sleep schedule can sometimes be tricky. Many of us feel distracted at night because we browse social media or we end up binge watching our favourite shows on Netflix.

A new study that was published last week suggests that those who struggle to get a goodnight’s sleep and who suffer from insomnia type symptoms have a greater chance of having a stroke or a heart attack.

It focused on a few key areas: do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? Waking up too early in the morning? Or trouble staying focused during the day due to poor sleep? Which many of us can relate to. Below are some of our tips on how to make sure you have a well regulated sleep schedule.

1. Avoid coffee and tea in the late afternoon/evening

We know that coffee and tea are two delicious drinks that many of us simply cannot eliminate, especially during the morning. It is no secret that caffeinated drinks will keep you awake at night, and the reason being, caffeine has a stimulant that is meant to keep you more awake. However, what we may not know is that, coffee stays in your body for approximately 6 hours after you drink a cup, according to ‘Livestrong’. In order to prevent staying awake at night, try to limit your caffeine in-take six hours before bed time. That way your body will release the stimulant and you will feel tired naturally.

2. Avoid Napping & Technology

Taking a nap is probably the greatest feeling in the world but it may be a bad idea for consistent night-time sleep. Napping for a long period of time can result in feeling grumpy, and will affect your ability to fall asleep at night. If you try to limit the time frame of your naps or napping in general, it may aid into the elimination of an irregular sleep pattern. Instead, go to sleep earlier than you normally would.

In light of napping and falling asleep at a decent time, technology can sometimes be problematic for a proper sleep schedule. We have all had those nights, where we feel so tired, to the point that one eye is open but the other is closed. The reason for the open eye may be because of the cute video on social media, of the cute puppy taking care of his younger brother and sisters. While it is okay to be immersed in technology, it is equally as important to give yourself a schedule. Consider stopping your browsing an hour before bed time so that your mind has the ability to relax.

3. Limit Netflix and Chill

We all love Netflix and chill, more specifically, the snacks involved such as potato chips, ice cream, candy, and popcorn. While we indulge in our snacks and watch the new episode of stranger things, it is important to know when to call it quits- and tell your mind ‘one more episode’ isn’t happening. Perhaps, give yourself a cut off time for television, but it is important to be diligent in doing so. This will ensure that you are sleeping on time, gaining enough rest for your busy days at the office, and helping to prevent the possibility of certain health issues.

Overall, it is important to keep schedules and routines. Once your body gets used to an everyday task, it then becomes difficult to stray away from it. Furthermore, lack of sleep can cause severe health issues that may not be as evident now but could be in the near future. Sleeping regularly and making sure you are receiving enough rest is important to properly function every day. You will feel more organized, alert, and energized – perhaps, you won’t need that cup of coffee after all!