Diet and Lifestyle are the Way to Go!
A new study was published this month in the medical journal The Lancet that appeared to be groundbreaking for some but is really common sense when you stop to think about it. The study came out of Europe and looked at young patients with heart disease and addressed that they are smoking more and twice as many suffer from diabetes compared to 12 years ago. It was determined that heart disease prevention in routine clinical practice is inadequate, with only a third of patients being referred to and joining prevention programs, while doctors are prescribing more and more drugs. The most shocking revelation was that despite large increases in the use of all classes of blood pressure lowering drugs, blood pressure management showed no improvement.
One thing many of us agree with is that lifestyle programs should be the backbone of preventive care. Saving people’s lives from acute heart attacks is one thing where conventional medicine excels, but we need an urgent investment in prevention to address the lifestyle causes of heart disease. The nation’s integrative health care leaders met in Washington DC earlier this month to discuss patient centered health care and how to reduce health care costs in the long term. As I was there to witness this inspiring meeting, the word prevention was repeated over and over.
Just how do we prevent heart disease? Exercise and diet are key. How many times do you hear yourself or friends and family make excuses for not exercising. Well, there is not an excuse; in fact your life depends on it! Remember that even housework and gardening burn a number of calories. Enjoy the increased light and longer days. Get on a bike with your kids or throw your little ones in the jogger. Create a mom’s walking group in your neighborhood.
As for diet, fresh fruits and veggies, 5-8 servings a day! When choosing which ones, always aim for a variety of colors to increase the vitamin and mineral assortment. Fiber is important as well. Try to get a minimum of 25 grams a day. While fresh fruits and veggies have a lot of naturally occurring fiber like pectin, other reliable sources are Chia seed, which also contain essential fatty acids. Try Gaia Herbs Chia Fresh. It can be added to salads, smoothies or taken alone.
And yes, of course, no heart healthy plan will ever be complete without mentioning Omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends eating fish regularly and/or consuming around one gram daily of EPA+DHA from fish oil. For a great quality heart healthy option, try Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega. They have a guaranteed no repeat policy because their oils are so fresh.
-Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.
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