Heart Healthy Lifestyle

Many people fear cancer. People now avoid too much sun, gave up smoking, and made numerous lifestyle changes to try to protect themselves from cancer.  Yet, the fact is heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.  Heart disease kills 800,000 people each year.

Heart Disease Facts

• Cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined.

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.

•  Heart disease causes 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute.

•  Only 1 in 5 American women believe that heart disease is her greatest health threat.

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people of most racial/ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics and Whites. For Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders and American Indians or Alaska Natives, heart disease is second only to cancer.

• Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually.

• In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds. Every 60 seconds, someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event.

• About 720,000 people in the U.S. suffer heart attacks each year. Of these, 515,000 are a first heart attack and 205,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack.

• In 2011, about 326,200 people experienced out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the United States. Of those treated by emergency medical services, 10.6 percent survived. Of the 19,300 bystanders-witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the same year, 31.4 percent survived.

• Direct and indirect costs of heart disease total more than $320.1 billion.

• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men, and are often misunderstood.

Related: Triage Nursing and the ER

Lifestyle Changes

Most of us know that in order to protect our heart health, there may need to be some lifestyle changes, few people don't need some improvements in health.  Losing just 10% of body weight can make a big difference in heart health, and overall health in general.  Eating heart healthy and getting more exercise is the way to make changes to improve heart health.

Heart Healthy Meals

Breakfast

• Oatmeal- turns out mom knew best serving that hot bowl of cereal, it's great for heart health, and keep you feeling full for hours.  Opt for steel cut oatmeal when possible, and consider adding cinnamon for additional health benefits.

• Yogurt- low in fat and loaded with calcium, yogurt is a great choice.  Pair yogurt with a slice of whole wheat toast with Nutella, and add an orange for a great boost of vitamin C.

• Smoothie- yogurt with blueberries, and coconut milk with crushed ice makes a great breakfast on the run.

Lunch

• Whole wheat bread, 2 slices with tuna in water.  Instead of using high fat mayonnaise to mix in the tuna, consider plain Greek yogurt and spicy brown mustard.  Pair the sandwich with some grapes or an apple, and add some lettuce to the sandwich for some added nutrition.

• Grilled chicken salad, take a day to grill some chicken breasts for future use.  Cut into strips, and freeze a few bags to use during work days.  Buy bagged salad, and add your precooked grilled chicken.  Top with a vinegar dressing, or try a low fat honey mustard.  Pair with some whole wheat crackers and some fruit.

• Chicken wrap, low fat wraps make great holders for multiple snacks and meals.  Chicken strips or slices with spicy brown mustard, bell pepper strips, and tomato slices make a wrap filling.  Treat yourself to some sugar free pudding for a great meal with a boost of calcium.

Related: What is Migraine Headaches? What are symptoms of it?

 

Dinner

• Chicken does great in a crock pot, and it can cook all day while, you work.  Add some peppers and garlic for added flavor, it will be tender and juicy without a lot of fat.  Pair with wild rice and broccoli for a heart healthy dinner.

• Turkey breast does not have to be just for the holidays.  There are now breasts in a bag, just pop the bag in the oven and cook.  It's great and naturally low in fat and calories. Pair turkey with green beans, and cauliflower for a heart healthy dinner.

• Snacks, everyone needs a list of healthy snacks, raw vegetables are great, grapes and blueberries are very heart healthy, and almonds provide good nutrition and will keep you full for hours. 

It really is not depriving yourself of food, but rather making some simple changes in the way we eat, and the amount of physical exercise we get. Drink plenty of water, and make it ice water to speed up metabolism.  Another benefit of a heart healthy diet is weight loss, and many people can benefit from that.

Related: International Nurses Association - What's Your Superpower? T-shirt

Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest  and Twitter