Five Ways to Take Care of Your Heart

Since February has been arbitrarily designated “Heart Health Month”, I thought articles around heart health would be fitting. It’s an extremely important organ, and unfortunately cardiovascular morbidity affects the majority of our North American population. Whether in the form of hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease (CAD), atherosclerosis, etc, the good news is you can do something about it.

Here are some things you can do to help support your heart:

1) Learn healthy stress management techniques

It is well documented how stress influences cardiovascular health, as well as many other facets of health. Studies show that cumulative stress “increases prevalence of hypertension, physical disability, pain and other chronic diseases as well as psychiatric disorders, alcohol, and drug abuse”[1]. Some sources cite that cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women kill 10 times more than breast cancer[2]. Stress management is key in protecting your heart and improving quality of life.

You’re probably expecting me to say words like meditation and yoga (which are rock star life hacks if you ever get in it – I’m telling you, even mental health professionals benefit from yoga[3]), but I realize this isn’t for everyone. Healthy stress management looks different to everyone, because people are different. Maybe this means taking the time to paint every week, or attend that kickboxing class to let out your frustrations. Whatever it is, it’s important to recognize 1) what your triggers for stress are, 2) when you are actually feeling stressed, and 3) what healthy ways you can manage stress when it comes up. Because news flash: stress isn’t going anywhere. But you can change how you respond to it, and how it affects you.

A really easy thing you can start with is deep breathing. Connecting your lungs, to your heart, to your mind is a powerful way to stay in the moment and decrease feelings of anxiety, overwhelm, and . Try it for a minimum of 5 seconds in through your nose, 5 seconds out through your mouth, repeat until you feel less stressed. Check out my Instagram: drtangnd for a grounding tool technique if you want something a little more advanced.

2) Make sure you get your oils in! That’s right, fat is IN.

We’ve come a long way (or at least, I hope we have) to thinking that all fats are bad for us. The main two that I’m talking about here are olive oil and fish oil (or omega 3 fatty acids). In one study, consuming olive oil reduced the need for anti-hypertensive medications by half[4]! Of course, you would want to do this under the care of a licensed healthcare professional, but I think that’s pretty darn cool. Fish oil has been investigated immensely in its relation to cardiovascular health. Evidence supports its benefits in improving heart rate, reducing blood pressure, decreasing triglyceride levels, increasing HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and plaque stability (implicated in atherosclerosis), and improving overall vascular function[5]. The best way to store these oils are away from light and heat to reduce chances of oxidation and rancidity.

3) Get movin’ and groovin’

Your heart is a muscle! It needs to be worked regularly to gain resilience and to keep that pump running smoothly. My exercise of choice has always been dance, but if you’re not a dancer that’s okay too (although I believe everyone can dance, no matter how many “left feet” you think you have). Find what works for you to get your body moving. Our bodies weren’t meant to sit at a desk all day long – this causes immense issues such as back and neck pain, muscle imbalances, and – you guessed it – increased cardiovascular risk. Ever heard the term “sitting is the new smoking”? In some ways, I believe this is true, in the sense of the prevalence in our society and that it has detrimental effects on our health.

Surprisingly, being more physically active doesn’t mean you should allow yourself more sedentary moments. The NIH-AARP Diet and Health study involved more than 240, 000 adults aged 50-71 years. It found those who completed >7 hours/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, but also watched TV for ≥7 hours/day had 50% increased risk of death from all causes and 2x risk of death from CVD disease vs. those with the same amount of physical activity, but only <1 hour of TV[6].

Next time, maybe leave for work a little earlier so you can get off at an earlier bus stop, or park further away so you can in some steps before you get to work. Make a conscious effort to use the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator every time. Purposely put things out of your reach at your desk, so you will have to get up to get them. Each step counts.

4) Eat some heart healthy foods every day

My favourite thing to do is use food as medicine. It’s something we do every single day, and it also gives us renewed possibilities to make a decision towards health or illness each time. Heart healthy foods are those that have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory  properties, and/or are packed with fiber and protein to help with blood sugar regulation. My top picks are blueberries (any of the dark berries have excellent anti-oxidant properties, really), almonds, lentils, salmon (see #2 above), and dark chocolate (70% cocoa at least!).

5) Hit two birds with one stone by increasing your fiber intake

Fiber can take many forms. I’m mainly talking about vegetable intake, but there’s also additions like flax seed, chia seed, psyllium husk, etc that can be added to your daily meals/snacks to up your fiber game. High dietary fiber has been linked to reduced cholesterol levels, improved blood glucose in diabetic patients, decreased weight and is associated with reducing low-grade inflammation[7]. All of that equals a happy heart and happy blood vessels. Plus, who doesn’t like healthy poops, right?

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