Category: Heart Health

Heart Health Month, Feel the Love…
Heart Health

February is recognized nationwide as Heart Health month. An important reminder to continue, refresh or start healthy habits for a life time, habits that will contribute to our wellbeing and healthy aging.

Good heart health starts with eating less saturated fat, less processed foods and less salty snacks. February is a great month to replace some of those choices with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

In addition to eating healthy, there are other habits that are recommended by the CDC:

Preventing Heart Disease: Health Living Habits
- Eat a well-balanced diet for good health
- Increase your physical activity (varies with age), to help maintain a healthy weight
- Avoid smoking, which may increase risk of heart disease
- Moderate alcohol intake, excess consumption can worsen some heart conditions
CarePlus Can Help

There are many medical conditions that can impact your health. Having a heart condition can be very challenging as you age and may prevent living independently. Just to note, our in-home caregivers can provide friendly and helpful reminders for those taking medications and ensure proper adherence to prescribed medications. This is especially important for those with asymptomatic conditions like high blood pressure. Our attention to activities of daily living (ADL) is aimed at keeping everyone safe, healthy and active and includes: exercise classes, shopping trips, cooking tips and menu selections. We are committed to Heart Health, not just in February, but all year long.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Nestled nearly in the middle of the month is the holiday of love…Valentine’s Day. An important reminder that the heart needs more than healthy food and exercise. The healthy heart also needs love and emotional connection. It is no coincidence that Valentine’s Day is a part of Heart Health month, another reminder to celebrate and nurture the emotional heart, as well as the physical heart.
February 13, 2017
Taste the Rainbow!

No, we’re not talking Skittles, colored with Blue #1, Red #40, and Yellow #6–we’re talking red bell peppers, butternut squash, bananas, kale, blackberries and eggplants. One of the easiest rules when it comes to eating healthy is to make sure that your plate is as colorful as possible—with natural food colors, though! Those artificial food colorings that trail along at the end of almost every packaged ‘ingredients’ label can have some frightening effects on the body—including hyperthyroidism, hyperactivity in children, and even allergic reactions.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, though, a general rule of thumb is that the darker or more vivid the color, the more packed with healthful nutrients it is.

Red fruits and vegetables (like beets, cranberries, pomegranates, rhubarbs and tomatoes) are chock-full of nutrients like lycopene that can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, reduce tumor growth in existing cancers, and lower LDL (or bad) cholesterol levels.

Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, including pumpkin, bananas, carrots, and sweet potatoes, pack a punch with beta-carotene, flavonoids, potassium and vitamin C, which can promote healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

Greens are sometimes the easiest to find! Spinach, broccoli, avocado, kiwi and cucumbers are all contain chlorophyll, calcium, folate, and lutein, among other nutrients; they can help reduce cancer risks and lower blood pressure, normalize digestion, improve your retinal health and boost your immune system.

Blue and purple fruits and veggies, like the others listed, can do wonders for your cholesterol and digestion, but they also fight inflammation and limit the activity of cancer cells, along with improving the absorption of calcium and other minerals. Try black currants, plums, grapes, figs and raisins.

An often forgotten group of vegetables and fruits are the white ones, such as ginger, mushrooms, onions, jicama, and garlic. While they may not pack the visual punch of their more colorful counterparts, they contain nutrients that boost the immune system, balance hormone levels, and reduce the risk of colon, breast and prostate cancers.

So next time you look at your plate, ask yourself this—how many (natural) colors are present? The more there are, the healthier you’re eating!

March 14, 2011
Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad, and the Confusing

First of all—what exactly is cholesterol, and why are there different kinds? Are doctors purposely trying to confuse us?

There may in fact be a secret consortium of conspiring physicians out there, but here’s what we know: cholesterol is a waxy substance that is both produced by our bodies and found in our food. We need some cholesterol—good cholesterols—because they help allow our cells to absorb fluids and assist in manufacturing hormones and even Vitamin D. So, as you can guess, having cholesterol in your body isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but having too much of a specific kind can be.

So what exactly are these different kinds?

Living in today’s world and inundated by news (often conflicting) about health, I’m sure you’re familiar with the terms ‘good cholesterol’ and ‘bad cholesterol.’ Because cholesterols, like other fats, can’t dissolve in the blood, they have to be carried around by special substances called lipoproteins.

The Good

Good cholesterol is an easier-to-remember epithet for cholesterol carried by HDL, or high-density lipoprotein. Why is HDL cholesterol good? It seems like even the experts are confused on this subject, but there are two theories. One is that HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and to the liver, where it can be passed from the body. Some experts also think that HDL might be dragging cholesterol away from plaque, and in doing so, slowing its build up in arteries.

So, HDL cholesterol is good. We want more of it. In fact, the higher your HDL, the less likely you are to have a heart attack or stroke. How do you raise your HDL levels? Quitting smoking, losing excess weight and being more active all help increase HDL levels, and there are some medications out there that can help, too.

And that brings us to…

The Bad

Bad cholesterol is any cholesterol that’s carried by low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. LDL cholesterol tends to build up along the inner walls of arteries, and when combined with other substances in the blood make a hard, thick substance called plaque that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. The biggest danger to this buildup, though, is the possibility of a clot forming and getting stuck in the plaque—blocking the flow of blood and cutting oxygen off from vital organs. That’s right, this is often the stuff to blame for heart attacks and strokes.

There are ways to keep your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels low, though. Diet and exercise are the most commonsense ways, but if they’re just not cutting it, your doctor also has medications to lower your bad cholesterol.

Still Confused?

Don’t worry. Your doctor or a stroke care professional can explain all of this—and give you your blood cholesterol numbers by performing a simple blood test. Just remember: keep your high-density lipoprotein count (HDL cholesterol) high, and your low-density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) low, and just like your doctor, your mom, and your own common sense have been exhorting you your whole life—eat your veggies and take the stairs!

February 23, 2011
Three Easy Steps to a Healthy Heart
February is American Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in American society today—in 2006, 81 million Americans had one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke or heart failure. That same year, over 831,000 of those suffering from cardiovascular disease died.

What can we do to stop heart disease? Even on a personal level, it seems daunting—how do we undo years’ worth of too many sweets, too many fats, too many days spent inside on the sofa instead of out in the world? How can you make your heart a healthy heart?

The good news is, you don’t need to completely revamp your lifestyle to get a healthy heart and cut your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Here are three easy steps you can incorporate into the life you already live that will do just that—without requiring too much of a sacrifice.
1. Go for a walk. You don’t have to purchase an expensive gym membership or pick up a fad exercise class, and you don’t need to load up on confusing exercise equipment. All you need to do is tie on a pair of sneakers and walk—just half an hour a day can cut your risk of developing heart disease!
  For added encouragement, tips and information, explore the American Heart Association’s Start! program, which encourages Americans to get out and stretch your legs while improving your health.
2. Pay attention to what you put on your plate. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all the tasty treats that we enjoy, and it doesn’t mean cutting out all fat and sugar. Try making heart-healthy substitutions—for instance, go for fats and oils that are in liquid form, rather than solid form. Solids—like stick butter—tend to be full of bad fats, the saturated and trans fats, while liquids—like vegetable oil—are usually monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can not only help lower your bad LDL cholesterol but also give you omega-3 and omega-6 oils.
3. Take a deep breath. Stress can contribute to the development or exacerbation of cardiovascular disease—so relax! Eliminating stress may sound easier said than done, but there are some easy ways to do it. Watch your favorite comedy—laughter is an instant stress-reducer—or go for a walk with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Use to-do lists and prioritize tasks to reduce anxiety, and go to bed early to get that good night’s sleep. Giving up alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can also bring your stress levels down—and improve your physical health at the same time.
For more information on how to keep your heart healthy, visit the American Heart Association’s site at www.heart.org.
February 7, 2011