healthy
heart
HEALTH NEWS AND INFORMATION
February 2013
A service of Kadlec Regional Medical Center–Tri-Cities
www.kadlec.org
I
n February, our thoughts often
turn to matters of the heart.
Flowers. Chocolates. A romantic
dinner. In reality, one of the
best ways to say “I love you” is to
help ensure that you are around
for future Valentine celebrations by
taking care of your heart.
The sight of your Valentine might
make your heart skip a beat, but
the signs of heart disease can be
much less noticeable. On any given
day — including Valentine’s Day —
2,200 people in the United States
die from cardiovascular disease,
making it the country’s No. 1 killer
of both men and women. It claims
more women’s lives than breast
cancer, and 1 in 4 men has some
form of the disease.
The human heart is remarkable. It
beats 100,000 times a day, circulating
5.6 liters of blood through the body
three times every minute. During the
course of an average lifetime, the
heart will beat more than 2.5 billion
times. Despite being built for
endurance, it is still susceptible to
disease. The good news is that there
are things that can be done to help
a heart remain healthy.
Diet is one of those things. Food
choices affect the way blood flows
through the heart and arteries. A
diet high in fat and cholesterol can
gradually cause a buildup (called
Heart-healthy diet
To make your diet heart-healthy,
you should:
■■
Eat a variety of nutrient-rich
foods and less nutrient-poor
foods
■■
Eat a diet rich in vegetables,
fruits and whole-grain, high-
fiber foods
■■
Eat fish at least twice a week
■■
Limit saturated fat, trans fat
and cholesterol
■■
Select lean meats and poultry
without skin and prepare them
without added saturated and
trans fat
■■
Select fat-free, 1 percent fat,
and low-fat dairy products
■■
Cut back on beverages and
foods with added sugars
■■
Choose and prepare foods
with little or no salt
—continued on back page
heart
“plaque”) in arteries, which slows
down blood flow and can block
small arteries. If the blockage
happens in an artery that carries
blood to the heart muscle, a heart
attack can occur. If the blockage
happens in an artery that carries
blood to the brain, a stroke can
occur. The right diet can help keep
arteries clear and reduce the risk of
heart problems and stroke.
For many of us, eating right
seems like a daunting task in our
fast-paced world. According to
Marge Shea, a registered dietician
at the Diabetes Learning Center at
Kadlec Regional Medical Center, it
doesn’t have to be.
“Eating heart-healthy doesn’t
have to be intimidating or difficult,”
said Shea. “Eating healthy means
emphasizing certain food groups
and limiting the intake of others,
such as fats, sugars and alcohol.”
Shea recommends giving yourself
the best chance to succeed with
MATTERS
OF THE
1 2,3,4