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What Can Affect Your Heart Health?

It seems quite simple how we go into maintaining our heart health. Everything ranging from eating a nutritious diet of whole foods and exercising regularly to reduce stress is steps we take for the benefit of our overall health. But how much do you really know about what’s bad for you?

Smoking

Although a more obvious one, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll try it once at a social gathering or buy a pack when you’re going through the motions. Don’t start! It’s a quick and temporary fix, but it’s not easy to quit. The damage from smoking reaches beyond the lungs and into your arteries. Smoking also presents a higher risk of blood clots and lowers the supply of oxygen needed for all your vital organs to function properly.

Lack of sleep

Sleep is a luxury and you deserve it! It’s a critical time for your body and mind to heal. Inconsistent or poor sleep can result in high blood pressure, increase your risk of diabetes, and depression. If you’re snoring, it’s a red flag that could be linked to a variety of cardiac issues so make sure you’re seeking professional help.

Sitting for extended periods of time

Being inactive for a long time could cause poor blood circulation which could disrupt your focus at work. Try standing desks or take a quick walk break to get the blood flowing again.

Unhealthy snacking

Many of us have succumbed to indulging on salty chips and sugary cookies. The heavy calories and lack of nutrition in these foods will manifest over time if you overdo it, which is very easy to do. From increased cholesterol to straining your heart by making it work harder, it’s important to be aware of your lifestyle and food choices.

What things are you aware of that’s getting in the way of maintaining a healthy heart? Please share in the comments!



Don’t Feel Guilty – How Napping can Help Your Heart Health

We’ve all been there. You were out late last night with friends so you’re already feeling a little tired – on top of that you’ve just gotten home from running a bunch of errands. Why shouldn’t you take a few minutes to nap and rest up?

Unfortunately, many of us see napping as a lazy habit; and even if we don’t, there can be a feeling of guilt from others about how you’re taking time away from them or that you don’t “need” the extra rest, “You’re just being lazy.”

Although these associations of being lazy can be true if you nap every single day, new research from the University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland has recently published findings in Heart, indicating that there is a correlation between napping frequency, duration and the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease complications. The researchers tracked 3,462 people between the ages of 35 and 75 for nearly eight years and found that those who napped once or twice a week, for between five minutes to an hour, were 48 percent less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, compared to non-nappers.

“Subjects who nap once or twice per week have a lower risk of incident CVD (cardiovascular disease) events, while no association was found for more frequent napping or napping duration,” the authors wrote.

Although this information was of interest to those of us who like to take a siesta once in a while, the study was an observational one. Meaning, that it only allowed researchers to identify patterns rather than determine a cause and effect. There will need to be further studying to determine if this can be beneficial.

So, for now, just enjoy a little nap here or there, while the research unfolds.



The Risk Vaping has on Your Heart

Maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle is a strong contributor to a long life. The habit of smoking, however, has been proven to cause heart disease and many cancers in Canadians, severely reducing one’s chances of longevity.

Smoking does this with the chemicals in the tobacco which can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can ultimately lead to a heart attack. When it comes to heart disease prevention, no amount of smoking is safe.

Fortunately, smoking as a habit has greatly decreased in the past few decades among the Canadian population as it has been proven to cause many of the ailments we just mentioned. On the rise though is the habit of vaping, which like smoking, can allow users to inhale nicotine.

The Canadian Cancer Society has said the following about e-cigarettes, “Although e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes, they are harmful. Studies on the long-term risks of e-cigarettes have not yet been done, though evidence of the toxicity from inhalation of e-cigarette vapour continues to mount.”

This is a cause of concern for many health practitioners as there has recently been a proposal put forward by the Ontario government to have e-cigarettes and vaping supplies available in convenience stores across the province. This is a big issue as it takes them from the back behind the counter to the front in a display that can easily be seen by youth.

The Canadian Cancer Society reported that in 2016/17, nearly 10% of youth in grade 10-12 (9.9%) were past 30-day e-cigarette users, a 46% increase from 2014/15.

A further cause of concern has been the recent legalization of marijuana in Canada. Youth having access to a “vaporizer” that can be used for nicotine as well as marijuana, which can affect their brains development, is very concerning.

To help you understand the further risks of vaping and smoking, and ways that you can reduce these habits, we have provided the following helpful resources:

  • Canadian Cancer Society: They’re a helpful resource in understanding what e-cigarettes are and ways that you can reduce smoking in all its forms. Additionally, here is some information on their thoughts around cannabis.
  • Smokers Helpline: A site that is dedicated to helping smokers understand the benefits and negatives that can be attributed to smoking. It also has community forums for those who are in the process of quitting and resources to begin your first steps.
  • The Government of Canada: The government has created a site that allows you to connect with an organization in your province that provides resources on how to quit. They also have a toll free line that you can use to ask questions and talk to someone about quitting.
  • Break it off: Is a free mobile app that is dedicated to helping younger people quit smoking.
  • Leave the pack behind: Is a free resource from the Government of Ontario that offers young adults information on how to quit and personalized support.

If you found these resources to be helpful for you, or you have other helpful resources to suggest, please let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Heart Healthy Activities for Fall

With the first official day of fall approaching there comes a number of changes in our daily activities. The largest and most obvious change being the weather. It’s colder, which means that many of us begin to slow down and do fewer activities outdoors. Although this is the case there are still many things that we can do to help to keep our heart’s active.

Below are some recommendations of heart healthy activities that you can during the fall season.

Plan Seasonal Outings

Fall can be one of the most beautiful times during the year to go out and explore. The leaves are changing colour and it can create a really nice atmosphere to go exploring. Plan a day out with your family for a nice walk through some of your local walking trails or something more seasonal like an afternoon at the corn maze or pumpkin patch.

Make Fall Fun Crafts Outdoors

Fall weather can be a tad chilly but generally still nice, so crafting can be the perfect middle-ground endeavor: an indoor activity with lots of outdoor involvement. Plus, with so much nature to use, it’s economical too.

Visit your favorite park, take a walk in the woods or explore your own backyard to scavenge for colorful leaves, pinecones and other interesting bits of nature.

Exercise Outdoors

Although the temperature begins to dip beginning in late September and early October it doesn’t mean that you need to stop doing all of your regular activities. Many of our followers have shared with us that they like to continue riding a bike during fall, or even fishing to keep up there healthy activities. Find something that will be easy to do every week until you have to move your exercises indoors. Here is a list of some of our favorites.

Make A Family Meal

During the colder months of the year, nothing hits the spot quite like a nice warm meal. A nice stew or soup can really be a relatively easy, heart-healthy meal to have. When cooking try to involve your family, as so much of how they learn heart healthy habits comes from their elders. It’ll also help speed up the process of cooking if you assign them tasks like making mashed potatoes or cutting up the vegetables. Take some inspiration out of some of our heart healthy meals.

How Your Child can Learn About Heart-Health at School

Students are often busy as they had back to school during the first few weeks of the semester. They’re catching up with friends, joining clubs, and beginning their studies. All of these activities are highly important while progressing through high school, but one that should be added is learning about heart-health.

Each year in Ontario, children and teens are among the 6,500 people who experience sudden cardiac arrest. Although the amount of youth that is affected by cardiac arrest is much smaller than that of adults, we at The Mikey Network know that it’s important to teach good practices early on, so that students are prepared for emergencies in the future.

Heart-health isn’t limited to just learning how to perform CPR or how to save a life using first aid. It’s also about retaining a healthy lifestyle. Learn about some of the ways that your child can become involved in more heart-healthy forms of education.

Mikey Young at Heart APP

Not only does the Mikey Young at Heart app provide students with the opportunity to earn volunteer hours that they will need to graduate, but they will also learn how to use an AED or perform CPR in emergency situations. Students begin the process by downloading the app and registering online. Then they earn their volunteer hours by watching instructional videos and completing the course’s exercises.

Health Class

What these health classes are called will vary by school but will focus on teaching students the proper understanding of CPR, first aid, and the human anatomy. Registering for this course can give students a hands on approach to scenario’s that they may deal with if they were to face an emergency situation in real life. Students will also learn about the human anatomy which will provide them with further information on how the rest of the body functions. These classes are of great benefit to those who are looking to enter any medical profession later on in life.

Physical Education/ Sports

Having an active lifestyle is one of the best steps that you can take to prevent heart disease and cardiac arrest. Students that are enrolled in a physical education class or in an extracurricular sport will benefit from learning how to regularly perform a physical workout routine from a trained professional. Some schools will go even further by providing sports academies for students, where they’ll learn about sport/life balance and more advanced topics like Kinesiology.

Cooking 

Most high school students don’t have a good understanding of the nutritional effect that foods will have on their health. If your child is enrolled in cooking classes, they will learn how to cook meals to get through each and every day, while also learning about the proper nutrition that each meal will provide. Building an understanding of what is and isn’t a heart-healthy meal early on in their lives will help them to retain a healthier lifestyle.

These are just some of the things that can help to benefit your child’s heart-health. Regardless of what they do, or what courses they take, what’s important is that they are actively looking to improve their health and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle.