Heart disease, also called coronary heart disease, is the
number one killer of Americans. It causes half a
million
sudden deaths every year.
Many people can prevent heart disease or control
early-
stage heart disease by making lifestyle changes.
Here
are
some ways you can decrease your risk:
Lifestyle
Time out. Minimize stress, a risk factor for heart
disease.
Try meditation or visualization or yoga. Prayer may
also
help. Take brisk walks with a friend; your
conversation
may
add extra stress relief.
Rein in your rage. Don't get mad -- it's bad for
your
heart. A study of nearly 13,000 people found that
those
who
were quick to anger were almost three times more
likely
to
have heart attacks than their cooler-headed peers.
Stay trim. Being even slightly overweight can
increase
your
blood pressure and put you at greater risk for
heart
disease. Follow a heart-smart diet and make
exercise a
priority.
No ifs, ands, or butts. According to the American
Heart
Association, you can cut your risk of death related
to
heart disease by 50 percent by kicking the smoking
habit.
After three smoke-free years, your risk of heart
disease is
the same as that of a lifelong nonsmoker.
Getting away is good for your heart. Researchers
found
that
men between age 35 and 57 who took a yearly
vacation
were
one-third less likely to die from heart disease
than
their
stay-at-work colleagues.
Be flexible. Flexibility exercises like yoga not
only
help
keep your joints limber but also help cut the
production of
stress hormones that can contribute to heart
disease.
Diet
Think international. People who eat a traditional
Mediterranean or Asian diet appear to have lower
rates
of
heart disease than those who eat a typical American
diet.
Incorporate elements of these diets into your
healthy
eating plan.
Eat heart-smart foods. Choose foods that can reduce
cholesterol and improve heart health, such as
fruits
(apples, avocados, dried fruits, grapefruit,
oranges,
strawberries), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, corn,
lima
beans, onions), seafood (clams, mussels, oysters),
fish
containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon and
bluefish),
soy,
nuts, and whole-grain breads and cereals.
Cut the fat. To keep your cholesterol level down,
limit
the
amount of fat you eat, especially saturated fat.
Your
total
fat intake should be no more than 30 percent of
your
daily
calories. Focus on low-fat alternatives to red
meat,
such
as fish or skinless chicken or turkey. Eating fish
several
times a week can cut your risk of heart attack by
as
much
as half. Lower your intake of dairy fats by
switching
to
low-fat or skim varieties. Or try soy milk -- soy
protein
can lower cholesterol.
Spice it up. If you have high blood pressure, cut
your
sodium intake.
In fact, researchers now think that
even
people whose blood pressure is within normal range
should
cut back on sodium. Avoid processed foods, which
contain a
lot of sodium, and ease up on salt at mealtime. But
don't
settle for bland fare. Add flavor with salsa,
curry,
peppers, or garlic. Eating one to three cloves of
garlic a
day has been shown to reduce blood pressure and
possibly
lower cholesterol.
Add rough stuff. Soluble fiber, plentiful in fresh
fruits,
vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, prevents
plaque
buildup in your arteries. Studies show that eating
three or
more servings of fruits and vegetables daily can
lower
the
risk of heart attack and stroke by 25 percent or
more.
In
one study, eating cooked dried bes daily
lowered "bad"
cholesterol by 20 percent in just three weeks.
Other
research showed that a diet high in whole grains
can
cut a
woman's risk of dying from heart disease by up to
15
percent. And dozens of studies confirm that eating
oats
has
a cholesterol-lowering effect.
Seeing red. Drinking alcohol in moderation raises
HDL,
or "good," cholesterol and "thins" the blood,
reducing
the
likelihood of clots that can cause heart attack and
stroke.
Red wine offers additional benefits. Its dark
pigments
are
rich in bioflavonoids that prevent the oxidation of
LDL,
or "bad," cholesterol, making it less likely to
stick
to
artery walls. Research showed that people who drank
two
8-
ounce glasses of red wine a day were 40 percent
less
likely
to have a heart attack than those who didn't
imbibe.
But
don't overdo it -- too much alcohol raises your
triglyceride level. And if you have an alcohol
problem,
the
harm far outweighs any potential benefit. Instead
of
drinking alcohol, you can get bioflavonoids from
black
and
green tea, onions, kale, and apples.
Exercise
Work your heart. The best preventive medicine for
your
heart is aerobic exercise. It reduces high blood
pressure
and atherosclerosis by widening the blood vessels.
Plus, it
raises "good" cholesterol levels. Choose an
activity
that
works the large muscles of your legs and buttocks
(like
brisk walking or bicycling), and strive to reach
your
target heart rate for at least 15 to 20 minutes,
three
or
four times a week.