28 days to healthier heart

8/3/2019 28 Days to Healthier Heart

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Day 1: Drink Green Tea

This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that reduce cholesterol and mayeven lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 ounces of water to a boil, drop in

three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and

refrigerate the tea. When cool, pour the tea into a container, add ice if you like, and sipthroughout the day.

Day 2: Scan Food Labels for Unhealthy Fat

Adults who read food labels and nutrition facts slash twice as many calories from fat as those

who don't give them a look, according to one study. When it comes to heart health, thatsimportant: Don't let fat exceed 30% percent of your calories. And more important, make most of

your fat the healthy monounsaturated (from olive oil, nuts, dark chocolate, avocado) andpolyunsaturated (from salmon, flaxseed, walnuts) kinds.

Limit saturated fat intake to 7% of your total calories (for a 1,600-calorie diet, thats about 12 g aday). And avoid trans fats whenever possible; they should comprise 1% of your daily calories, orless than 2 g a day. (Look for hydrogenated on ingredient lists; trans fats are most often found

in cookies, crackers, baked goods, and other processed foods.) Both of these fats raise levels ofartery-clogging LDL cholesterol.

Day 3: Cook Like an Italian

Use MUFA-rich olive oil in your food prep whenever possible. The heart-healthy fat lowersbad LDL cholesterol and raises good HDL cholesterol. Bonus: Olive oil is also rich in

antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like

Alzheimers.

Substitute olive oil for butter or margarine at the dinner table, drizzle it on salads, and use it to

replace vegetable oils in baking wherever possible. Buy only cold-pressed, extra-virgin oil; itretains more of the olive's heart-healthy antioxidants than other forms.

Day 4: Carve Out Time for Sleep

Every extra hour of sleep middle-aged adults can add to their nightly average reduces their riskof coronary artery calcification, a cause of heart disease, by 33%, according to a study reported

in theJournal of the American Medical Association. When you're even a little sleep deprived,

your body releases stress hormones that constrict arteries and cause inflammation.

If you routinely wake up feeling tired or need an afternoon nap, then you're probably sleep

deprived. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours a night to function well.


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Day 5: Fiber Up Your Diet

Studies show that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to have a heart attack. Load upon whole grain breads and cereals that contain whole wheat, wheat bran, and oats. Toss beans

into casseroles, soups, and salads. Aim for at least 25 to 35 g of fiber a day.

Day 6: Feast on Fish

Meat's saturated fat will clog your arteries. On the other hand, fish such as salmon and anchovies

are loaded with the omega-3 fatty acids that will help your heart maintain a steady rhythm.Having even one serving of fish high in omega-3s a week could reduce your risk of death from a

heart attack by 52%!

Day 7: Start Your Morning with Juice

Orange juice contains folic acid that helps lower your levels of homocysteine, an amino acid

linked to a higher heart attack risk. Grape juice is loaded with flavonoids and resveratrol, bothpotent antioxidants that may discourage red blood cells from clumping together and forming anartery-blocking clot. Choose 100% fruit juices to limit excess sugar.

Day 8: Make Room for Veggies

To get the 2 cups that nutritionists recommend you eat daily, aim to make veggies 50% of yourmeals. Extra points for picking cruciferous vegetables such as kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli,

and cabbage, which are a gold mine of antioxidants and other heart-saving phytochemicals.

Day 9: Make Nuts Your Go-To Snack

Studies have found that those who eat more than 5 ounces of nuts a week are one-third less likely

to have either heart disease or a heart attack. Just don't overdo itnuts are high in fat andcalories, which can pack on pounds if you inhale them by the fistful.

Day 10: Walk for 20 Minutes a Day

Just 2.5 hours of exercise a week (thats a little more than 20 minutes a day) could reduce heart

attacks by one-third, prevent 285,000 deaths from heart disease in the United States alone, andpractically eliminate type 2 diabetes. Wow!

Day 11: Change Your Bread Spread

Olive oil is ideal for dunking your bread, but if you must use a spread, pick one with cholesterol-lowering sterols. Adding 2 g of these plant compounds to your daily diet can help lower your

total cholesterol by about 10%often within 2 weeks, according to numerous studies publishedin both American and European medical journals. That may not sound like a substantial

reduction, but it could translate to a 20% lower risk of heart disease.


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Day 11: Change Your Bread Spread

Olive oil is ideal for dunking your bread, but if you must use a spread, pick one with cholesterol-lowering sterols. Adding 2 g of these plant compounds to your daily diet can help lower your

total cholesterol by about 10%often within 2 weeks, according to numerous studies published

in both American and European medical journals. That may not sound like a substantialreduction, but it could translate to a 20% lower risk of heart disease.

Day 12: Stir in Flaxseed

Flaxseed is one of the most potent sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Studies indicate that

adding flaxseed to your diet can reduce the development of heart disease by 46%, while helpingto keep red blood cells from clumping together and forming clots that can block arteries.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flaxseed a day on your yogurt, oatmeal, cereal, or salad. Buy itpreground, and keep it refrigerated.

Day 13: Start or End Your Day with Stretching

Flexibility may be key to heart health: Adults over age 40 who were the most limber had 30%

less stiffness in the arteries than less-bendy participants in a recent Japanese study. Stretching for10 to 15 minutes a day may keep arteries pliable; they may be affected by the elasticity of the

muscles and tissue that surround them. Try some gentle yoga moves to improve your flexibility.

Day 14: wine (x)

Day 15: Swap in Soy

These plant proteins can help lower cholesterol when you eat them in place of less healthy foods.(Think tofu instead of beef stir-fry or edamame in lieu of dumplings).

Its best, however, to limit processed soy (from chips and patties) and avoid soy supplements.

The problem with these is that we do not always know the amount of phytoestrogens (plantchemicals in soy that function in ways similar to the hormone estrogen) in them. This can make

its effects on the human body unpredictable. And exposure to high concentrations ofphytoestrogens could stimulate the growth of cells that are responsive to estrogen, which include

many breast cancers.

Day 16: Cook with Garlic

Just one clove a dayor 300 mg 3 times dailyreduces the risk of a heart attack at least threeways: It discourages red blood cells from sticking together and blocking your arteries, it reduces

arterial damage, and it discourages cholesterol from lining those arteries and making them sonarrow that blockages are likely.


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Day 17: Spice Up Your Workout

The best exercise is one that you'll continue to do. So every day, in addition to your regularworkout, try something new just for funhitting a tennis ball against the house, shooting hoops

with your kids, or dancing around your bedroom after work. If you find something that you like,

incorporate it into your daily workout.

Research shows that people who are active in little ways the entire day burn more calories and

are generally healthier than those who exercise for 30 to 60 minutes and then sit at a computer,says cardiologist and Prevention advisor Arthur Agatston, MD.

Day 18: Stop Faking It

One of the biggest causes of stress is trying to live in a way thats not consistent with who youare. Ask yourself:Am I doing what I want to do? Am I getting my needs met? Every day, run a

reality check on what you've done. When it says that your actions aren't true to the kind of person

you are, make sure you listen.

Spend time with people and on activities that make you feel happy and challenged in a healthy

waynot drained or burned out.

Day 19: Meditate for 5 Minutes

Practicing a form of meditation in which you focus awareness on the present moment can reduce

the effects of daily stressors. Ride out a stress storm by simply closing your eyes and quietlyfocusing on your breathing for 5 to 10 minutes.

Day 20: Get in Touch with Your Spiritual Side

Studies indicate that those with regular spiritual practices who meet with a faith communityattending church or temple, for examplelive longer and better and are far less likely to have a

heart attack. You can still reap the benefits even if you can't attend regularly; just gettinginvolved socially, like volunteering at a food drive, can help.

Day 21: Stay Connected

Strong ties to family, friends, and community reduce anxiety and fight depressiontwo factors

that increase your risk of a heart attack. Make a lunch date with a friend youve been playing

phone tag with, dedicate at least 1 night a week for a sit-down family dinner, or plan to visit yourplace of worship. Resolve to do one of these things every day (yes, jetting off a quick thinking-of-you e-mail counts).


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Day 22: Take Vitamin D and Fish Oil

While research on multivitamins for preventing heart disease is mixed, science does stand behind

these two supplements. "The only dietary supplement consistently shown in randomized clinicaltrials to work against cardiac death is fish oil," says Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, an

assistant professor medicine at Harvard Medical School. Omega-3 fatty acids stabilize the heart'selectrical system, lower blood pressure and triglycerides, slow arterial plaque buildup, and ease

systemic inflammation. Fish oil was more successful than statins at preventing death in heartfailure patients, according to a recent Italian study.

D boasts a wide range of health benefits, heart health among them. Recent studies show that

too-little amounts can raise the risk of peripheral arterial disease by 80% and increase the odds of

developing diabetes (a known heart disease risk factor).

Day 23: Do Something Sweet For Your Partner

Theres a lot of proof that marriage buffers you against heart disease, but that may be true only ifyoure happily coupled, says Agatston. One study in theAnnals of Behavioral Medicine found

that spouses who reported a lot of negative encounters with their partner had blood pressure thatwas, on average, 5 points higher than that of single people. The emotional stress of a difficult

marriage typically causes adrenaline levels in the blood to spike, raising blood pressure; it canalso cause blood vessels to spasm.

To make sure your marriage doesn't go on autopilot, forge little ways to stay connected all thetime. If you do something nice today (like paying an unexpected compliment or taking on achore he normally handles) chances are he'll reciprocate soon, which helps bolster your bond.

Day 24: Indulge with Dark Chocolate

Cap off your day with a nibble of this healthy treat. Dark varieties contain flavonoids,antioxidants that make blood vessels more elastic. In one study, 18% of patients who ate it every

day saw blood pressure dip. Have ounce (at least 70% cocoa) daily.

Day 25: Steer Clear of Secondhand Smoke

Got friends or coworkers who smoke socially? Stay away when they light up and your heart willthank you. The effects on the cardiovascular system due to passive smoking are, on average, 80

to 90% as great as those due to active smoking, research shows. Even brief (minutes or hours)exposure to secondhand smoke can have cardiovascular effects nearly as great as long-term

active smoking.


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Day 26: Go Bananas

To lower your blood pressure, don't just eat less sodium. You should also increase your

potassium intake, as it speeds up the body's sodium excretion, say researchers at theHypertension Institute of Nashville. Lead author Mark Houston, MD, says most Americans

consume more sodium than potassium, but it should be the other way around. Some popularpotassium-rich foods to help fix this: baked potatoes, tomato paste, lima beans, yogurt,

cantaloupe, and bananas

Day 27: Cut Back on Sugar

People who consume more than 74 g of added fructose a day (thats two to three sweetened soft

drinks) are 87% more likely to have severely elevated blood pressure than those who get less,according to a recent study. Researchers believe excess fructose may reduce the production ofnitric oxide, a gas that helps blood vessels relax and dilate.

To cut your intake, watch out for the worst offenders: drinks and baked goods. Drink seltzer inplace of soda, or eat oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon instead of an oatmeal raisin cookie.

Day 28: Laugh at Yourself

When researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore tested the

"humor quotient" of 300 people, they found that those with heart disease were 40% less likely to

laugh at the gaffes, mix-ups, and irritations of everyday life than those without cardiovascularproblems.

"Laughter is no substitute for eating properly, exercising, and controlling blood pressure and

cholesterol levels with medication if need be," says study author Michael Miller, MD, director ofthe university's Center for Preventive Cardiology. "But enjoying a few laughs every day couldn't

hurt, and our research suggests that it might help your heart health."

28 days to healthier heart

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