Tag Archives: heart

WHEN YOU EAT………DO NO HARM!

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LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE BE THY FOOD.  That was uttered by the Greek physician Hippocrates, who lived 460 – 374 BC.  Today we know more about the way certain foods can help us to prevent or even reverse some significant life-altering diseases.

One of these life-altering diseases that affects almost everyone in the United States is cardiovascular disease.  According to the American Heart Association, in the United States, 48% of people over the age of 19 have some degree of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  The category of CVD includes coronary heart disease (CHD), heart attack, angina, heart failure, hypertension, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and aortic aneurysm.  Many people have CVD and just don’t know it.  Your vessels may only be partially blocked with plaque and not yet screaming at you, but that does not mean you shouldn’t be worried.

So….when my patients do get worried, what do I tell them?  I remind them how important their diet is!  How do you let food be your medicine?  Well, the good news is that there are a lot of risk factors for CVD that are modifiable, and diet is among them.   In fact, a worldwide study named INTERHEART looked at people in 52 different countries.  This study identified 9 risk factors that could be modified to decrease CVD.  These 9 risk factors were responsible for >90% of the risk of having that first heart attack!  WOW!  So what are these 9 factors you can change or alter?

  1.  smoking
  2.  high blood pressure
  3.  diabetes
  4.  dyslipidemia
  5.  abdominal obesity
  6.  DAILY INTAKE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
  7.  regular alcohol consumption
  8.  regular physical activity
  9.  psychosocial factors

FOCUS on number SIX,  and you will help numbers two through five.

The AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION is promoting a HEALTHY HEART LIFESTYLE and calling it LIFE’S SIMPLE SEVEN

  1. don’t smoke
  2. get regular physical activity
  3. keep a normal blood pressure
  4. have a normal blood glucose level
  5. have a normal total cholesterol level
  6. keep a normal weight
  7. EAT A HEALTHY DIET

Again, focusing on number SEVEN  will help accomplish three through six.   No matter how you look at things, your diet is important and plays a factor in your health and longevity.  Food is medicine, one way or the other.  There is good medicine.  There is bad medicine.

It’s your choice!!