How To Reduce The Main Causes Of Heart Disease

Many heart disease causes can be eliminated or dramatically reduced by making changes to your diet and lifestyle. Just a few simple steps can add many healthy years to your life.

There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Some are outside your control, but many are lifestyle choices such as diet, smoking, alcohol abuse and physical inactivity. Obesity can play a major role in the formation of heart disease.

Controllable risk factors:

• Hypertension (blood pressure) 
• Cholesterol levels (LDL)
• Obesity 
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Physical inactivity (sedentary lifestyle)
• Smoking
• Alcohol ( excess consumption)

Uncontrollable risk factors:

• Age
• Gender ( men are at increased risk)
• Race
• Family medical history
• Other medical conditions

Reducing the risk

Heart related disease can be dramatically reduced through lifestyle and diet change. Living in this high-technology automated world has removed the need for much physical work activity. When this is combined with push-button entertainment it leaves little time for fat burning. This lack of exercise allows unnecessary weight gain, putting strain upon the heart and further reducing mobility.

Modern diets have also had an extremely negative impact on heart health, type 2 diabetes and obesity levels. Fast food, and over processed foods are often consumed for speed and convenience with little regard for the calories, fat and sugar they contain.

The type of dietary fat eaten also plays a big part in cardiovascular health. Medical research has shown that following a Mediterranean style diet, which can be high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (primarily from olives and fish) and lower in saturated fats, is beneficial in keeping low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) to a minimum and raising the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL cholesterol).

Fat Facts

Saturated fat: (reduce intake of saturated fat) found in whole milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, red meat, chocolate, coconut and coconut products. Problem: Raises total cholesterol levels.

Trans fat: (remove from diet) found in some margarine, vegetable shortening, partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil, deep-fried fast foods and many commercially baked products. Problem: Increases LDL cholesterol, lowers HDL cholesterol and increases triglycerides.
(Trans fats were originally thought to be a healthier alternative to saturated fat, but subsequent research over many years has shown that they are in fact, extremely harmful and should be avoided)

Monounsaturated fat: (eat in place of saturated fat) found in olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, cashews, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, most other nuts and avocados.
(Olive oils are a great substitute for cooking with and used as a dip for bread etc to replace butter or margarine. It can easily be flavored with garlic or herbs if required)

Polyunsaturated fat: Omega3 & 6 fatty acids (eat in place of saturated fat). Omega 3 is found in fish, canola oil, walnuts and flaxseed. Omega 6 is found in vegetable oils.

Carbohydrate Facts

Refined carbohydrate and sugar rich foods have also created additional heath risks, primarily due to their impact on blood sugar levels due to the ease with which they are digested. Long-term test have shown a marked decrease in heart disease when more whole-grain foods are eaten.
(Eating whole-grain breakfast cereals, brown rice and whole-grain breads has been shown to be very beneficial).

Eating a heart healthy diet:

Here are some recommended guidelines for improved dietary health.

• Introduce a good selection of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Replace refined carbohydrate with whole-of grain wherever possible.
• Reduce your intake of saturated fat from red meat and dairy products.
• Moderate the number of calories you eat in line with calories burned each day.
• Improve your level of aerobic fitness through walking, cycling, rowing etc.
• Limit your intake of high sugar foods.
• Reduce your daily sodium (salt) intake.
• Moderate your daily alcohol intake.
• Increase intake of unsaturated fats and omega 3.

By following these simple guidelines you can dramatically improve your cardiovascular system and substantially reduce your chances of developing heart disease.