Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a collective term for a group of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. CVD or heart disease is the number one killer in Canada. CVD has many root causes, but the good news is that it is preventable and manageable.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease:
• Smoking
• Diets rich in saturated and trans fat
• Physical inactivity
• Stress
• Family history of heart disease
• Weight – higher risk for overweight or obese people
• Medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes
• Age – risk increases as you age
• Sex – men have higher risk
Heart Healthy Tips:
Be smoke free.
Not smoking or quitting smoking reduces your risk of developing heart disease. It also may help to increase HDL or "good" cholesterol in your blood. Not smoking not only reduces your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, but also your risk of developing certain cancers.
Eat a wide variety of healthy foods.
According to Canada's Food Guide, as part of a balanced diet, we should enjoy a variety of foods from each of the four food groups and choose lower-fat foods more often.
Get moving or keep moving.
Try to include 30 to 60 minutes a day of accumulated physical activity to help keep your heart in shape and make you feel great!
Have regular medical check-ups.
Your doctor can test your blood cholesterol and other lipid levels in order to monitor some of the risk factors of heart disease. They can also test you for diabetes, one of the risk factors for developing heart disease.
Make Heart Healthy Choices
Nutritious, well-balanced meals and healthy snacks may reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by helping you increase your intake of heart-healthy nutrients, manage your weight, manage your blood pressure, control your blood sugar levels, and lower your cholesterol.
Aim to include items from the four food groups: vegetables and fruit, whole-grain products, lower-fat milk products and alternatives, and lean meat and alternatives.
It is recommended to eat less food high in fat and sugar and reduce the portion size of your meals. Be aware of the amount of salt consumed each day and try to take the salt shaker off of the table. Include lots of fibre-containing food and aim to include fish in your meals at least twice per week.
Reading the nutrition facts table will also help you make better choices.
When you are grocery shopping, look for the Health Check symbol (which is based on Canada's Food Guide) on food packaging such as Nestlé Stouffer’s Frozen Entrees.
References:
Health Canada website, 2008
Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation website, 2008
