February is the month that hosts Valentine’s Day, my Dad’s birthday and Family Day weekend, and so for me February is all about love and the heart. Not only a month that we share the love in our hearts but also the month to talk about the health of our heart, as February is also Heart Health Month.
Heart disease runs in my family. It’s the reason why I do what I do, why I choose to live the healthy lifestyle I do, why I eat clean and why I stay as active as I do. It’s also around this time I like to remind myself of all the added things I can be doing to help keep my heart healthy. I realize that Cardiovascular Heart Disease, CHD, isn’t on the radar for many of you, but since it is the #1 killer in both Canada and the US, I thought highlighting some important tips would probably provide a little bit of something for everyone. So even if you practice a Paleo or Keto way of eating, are a low carb eater or vegetarian or vegan, or any other style of eating, there’s something here for you.
Recently, I had my annual bloodwork done to check my cholesterol levels. Although my HDL levels (the good cholesterol) are very high and my triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood) are in the excellent range, my LDL levels (the bad, plaque forming cholesterol) are rising. Nothing serious but my Dr. suggested I speak with a dietician to see if any changes in my diet could be made. Turns out he was right and I’m so glad I took the time for an open discussion on new ideas and tips for the betterment of my health. I have to say I loved this approach. It was so much easier having this kind of a discussion with the dietician, an expert in her field, and someone who was able to answer all my questions about nutrition, something I love discussing. Our zoom call together was full of lots of detailed information. We spoke for over an hour and I learned so much. For me, the changes she wants me to make are not about taking anything away from what I’m doing. Rather, surprisingly to me, it’s about what my diet has been missing. Specifically, I’m not eating enough Omega-3 rich fatty fish, and not enough grains. She actually scolded me for not eating enough grains! Yikes. Like many of us, seems I’ve become accustomed to eating in a low carb way and my heart health was missing out.
Here’s my take on what I learned. I hope you find it as informative as I do. My Top 10 Tips on keeping your cholesterol levels low to help prevent a heart event from happening.
Note, these tips are all food and exercise related tips, things we can all safely add into our diet, and specific to keeping cholesterol levels low. There are many other aspects of CHD that I don’t touch on – high blood pressure, hypertension, high blood sugar, diabetes to name a few, that are just as important for heart health but that blog is for another time.
Before I begin, this is where you want your healthy cholesterol levels to be. If you don’t know where your levels are, go and have them checked out, especially if you have a parent or immediate family member who has heart disease or has had a cardiac event.
Total Cholesterol should be 4.65 mmol/L or less
LDL should be 2.59 mmol/L or less
HDL should be 1.16 mmol/L or higher for women and 1.034 mmol/L or higher for men
Triglycerides should be under 1mmol/L
My Top 10 Tips for Lowering Cholesterol
** Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day.
Start with 4-5 servings and then work up from there. Don’t worry, this is easier than you think. A serving is smaller than you think, usually around 1/2 cup so you’re probably already in this range anyway. Fresh is best but even frozen and dried still provide plenty of nutrients that protect the heart. In fact prunes offer more soluble fibre than a plum.
** Phytosterols.
This really should be included in the fruit and vegetable category but it’s so important I separated it. Phytosterols come from anything plant. Some of the highest sources are from broccoli, carrots, onions, brussels sprouts and spinach, blueberries and bananas to name a few but as well are found in nuts and whole grains like flax seed and rye. Why are phytosterols so important? Because they can literally cut your cholesterol levels by about 10% when eaten daily. The dietician even recommended I use a new Becel margarine made from plant sterols. It’s the Vegan one made with plant oils in a green and yellow container with a white rim. I hesitated when she recommended this as I am not a margarine fan. She laughed and said “I can see your eyes rolling over the phone” but she strongly suggested I give it a try. And so I will. She also said to not use any other kind of margarine. Not the olive oil kind or other options available. Only use one made with plant oils, or sterols.
** Whole Grains:
This is what I am missing in my diet. Whole grains (must include the germ) at EVERY meal. This is going to be tough for me, but really it shouldn’t be because again, the serving of a grain per meal is much smaller than you think, about 1/2 cup. Why are whole grains so important? First, they fill you up so you won’t go looking for snacks later in the day – often unhealthy snacks like a cracker or cookie or chips. Secondly, they offer the phytosterols that are so important to us, but just as important is the fibre content they have to offer. There is so much to say about both soluble and insoluble fibre but when it comes to heart health, think Soluble Fibre because its soluble fibre that literally helps REMOVE the bad cholesterol from your bloodstream! Wow! That’s amazing to me. 5 – 10 grams of soluble fibre/day will decrease your LDL levels. Some examples of whole grains with the highest levels of soluble fibre are:
- Oatmeal = 3 g/serving
- Oat bran = 5 g/serving
- 1 slice whole wheat, multi grain bread = 4 grams
- 2 Tbsp flax = 4 grams
- beans and lentils = 4-5 g/cup, depending on which bean used
- barley, cooked = .8 grams per 1/2 cup
Other high soluble fibre options:
- plum, large = 1 gram
- pear, medium = 1.5 grams
- figs, dried = 1.9 grams per 1/4 cup
- brussels sprouts = 2 g per 1/2 cup
- avocado = 1.4 grams per 1/3 an avocado
- sweet potatoes = 1.8 grams per 1/2 cup
- broccoli = 1.5 grams per 1/2 cup
- Cooked carrots, nectarines, apricots, apples, guava, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds are all high sources as well.
Be sure to add a variety of whole grains into your daily meals, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, couscous, and farro. Always make sure the grain is “whole “grain, so start reading those labels. And throw out the white bread. It’s essentially empty of calories and only serves to raise your blood sugar levels.
** Minimum of 2 servings of fish/week, especially the fatty fish that offer heart healthy omega 3 acids that protect against heart health. This is the other area I was missing out on. The top fish that offer the most omega 3’s are salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. A great source of sardines, mackerel or herring are those little cans by Clover Leaf or Gold Seal, if you are a fan of that fishy taste. Luckily I am. It brings me back to my childhood. I’m eating a 1/2 can on a slice of whole wheat toast as part of my lunch and am really enjoying it.
** Enjoy healthy fats and oils every day.
Think olive oil and canola oil. Also fats from nuts, avocados, olives. Cut back on foods rich in saturated fats (full-fat milk and dairy products, fatty cuts of meat, tropical oils) and trans fats (commercially baked cakes, cookies, crackers, as well as white breads, fast food, etc.)
** Drink plenty of fluids.
Drink lots of water, but also herbal teas, green teas, white teas are some great choices. As well, fruit and vegetable juices – with no added sugars of course.
** Enjoy your food.
Take the time to smell and taste and chew thoroughly each and every bite. This helps you to digest more throughly your food and absorb more of the heart healthy nutrients. Find the pleasure in eating.
** Daily exercise.
I’m not saying you need to do a hard work out every day. Mix it up. Yoga is a wonderful source especially for the body-mind connection. Dancing, gardening, playing sports, swimming, bicycling, hiking, whatever you like, just KEEP MOVING. For optimum heart health, walking about 3.2 km/day is best.
** The Mind-Body-Heart connection.
Now we’re talking my talk. To all my yoga students, most of you understand the truth when we say there is a mind-body connection. You know what that feels like. You are what you think. Your thoughts create your reality. And yes, this has a profound effect on your heart. We now know that stress raises LDL levels. Stress, depression and other mental health strains can undermine the enjoyment we feel in our lives and there is no doubt that these factors have an adverse affect on our hearts. A few things to try when feeling overwhelmed, anxious or even depressed:
- take a deep breath. Take a moment for some deep breathing and enjoy the stillness
- take some quiet time for yourself. Try meditating.
- go for a 10 minute walk, or maybe a 45 minute one!
- enjoy any type of activity
- talk to a friend or a therapist if need be
- schedule in some me time, maybe a nice long hot bath or even a massage
- do some journalling. Let it all out in the privacy of your own journal.
And of course, if need me, seek professional help. A bright outlook on life supports your resolve to do the right things to protect your heart’s health.
** Enjoy alcohol in moderation.
I should mention this was not a tip given to me by the dietician but with all the reading I do on heart health, I wanted to mention it. By no means am I encouraging alcohol use but for those of us who do enjoy a drink, there is some evidence that alcohol, particularly red wine, may help your heart in a few ways. One of my Aunt’s, who celebrated her 100th birthday this past Christmas Day, would attest to this! She is very proud to say she still enjoys her one glass of red wine each evening. But just one glass!
One glass of alcohol for women (us ladies don’t have the enzyme that helps break down alcohol) or two glasses for men can:
- prevent blood from clotting. This can be good or bad. It may hold off heart attacks, but it could make you bleed more easily.
- help prevent damage caused by high LDL, the “bad” cholesterol.
- help raise your HDL levels
But, before you break out that cocktail shaker, know this – doctors aren’t sure if all those healthy effects come from the alcohol or from other good lifestyle choices that light drinkers make. So if you don’t drink already, your heart isn’t a reason to start. A healthy diet and regular exercise provide ample good effects without adding in alcohol.
As you can see, my call with the dietician covered a lot of ground. I’m offering her advice here for you today as healthy tips, that’s it. Incorporating any of this into your daily way of life should be safe, but if you have any concerns at all, please speak with your Dr. This is in no way intended to be medical advice. For the next few weeks I’ll be in the kitchen trying out some new heart healthy recipes, especially muffins and cookies chock full of oatmeal and oat bran and whole wheat flour. I will let you know how it all turns out.
Taken from my Heart chakra meditation, a happy heart is a healthy heart. May your heart be filled with love. May you know great joy. May your heart be moved, and may you love bigger than you ever imagined possible.
To your heart health,
Namaste,
Jacine