A Heart-to-Heart on Disease Prevention

"The past does not define you. The present does." -Jillian Michaels

                I grew up eating healthy, farm fresh foods, while also eating prepackaged, highly processed foods, because my family lived on a farm, but we didn’t have a lot of money. We often had fresh corn on the cob and green beans on our dinner plates, but Ramen Noodles and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese were staples during the summer months when we were out of school. I am not ashamed of any aspect of my childhood, because our bellies were always full, our beds were warm, and we were happy. Now, I am a grown woman sharing in the responsibility of the content of my own family’s dinner plates. I have complete control over my own diet now. I have started to change many of my eating habits over the past couple of years. The problem is, my three favorite foods are

cheeseburgers, tacos, and fried chicken.

                I try not to eat these foods often. But, their greasy deliciousness is calling my name, and due to my love for this kind of menu, so is heart disease. I have found through observation and a bit of research that my family genes aren’t exactly heart-healthy. There is a long history of disease on both sides of my family, including cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, just to name a few.

                I met with my doctor after I had my daughter and expressed my serious concerns about my rapid weight gain during pregnancy as well as my family history. She reminded me that our genes are only half of it, and the choices we make as individuals have a drastic effect on our health. I may be at a higher risk for obesity or heart disease based on my DNA, but if I make healthy choices, I can give myself a better chance at not developing one of those diseases.

                Heart disease isn’t just a concern for me simply because it is in my family. It is a threat to many women in the United States. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, coronary heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. One in four women will die of heart disease in the U.S. If I have any reason to eat healthy and exercise, these statistics are on the top of the list.

                Several factors contribute to coronary heart disease, including smoking and secondhand smoke, high amounts of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, high amounts of sugar in the blood due to insulin resistance or diabetes, and blood vessel inflammation. So, those cheeseburgers I love so much, if consumed too frequently, could potentially kill me (and so could your cigarettes through secondhand smoke, so please don’t give me that look when I ask you not to blow your equally disgusting habit in my face).

http://www.conngmc.com/

                What can you do to prevent heart disease? Adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately for me, that means I must put *down* the cheeseburger.
                 Eat fruits and vegetables. The less junk food you consume, the more you realize how delicious fruits and vegetables are, and you’ll never go back to eating chips and cookies regularly, because they will just make your body feel awful anyway. Eat foods that are low in added sugars and sodium. Stay away from saturated fats, trans fatty acids, and refined grains. 

                Stay physically active! This is one of the best ways to keep your heart and lungs healthy. Even moderate exercise will improve your health, so get moving! Walk, run, dance, swim, lift weights, play sports. Just move! I even noticed that once I started using a Fitbit I changed the way I did everything throughout the day. Now I choose the stairs instead of the elevator. I park farther away from my office to add extra steps. I take a walk around campus on my lunch break when I get a chance. Sometimes when I don't feel like hitting the gym, I look at my steps for the day, and if I'm unsatisfied with the number, I will go just to get that number up. It has really changed my mindset, and the only thing I am doing is paying closer attention to how many steps I take each day.

If you’re a smoker, quit smoking. I know this is easier said than done, but try to make it a priority. Talk to your doctor. Save your own life. I am sure you have heard it countless times from a million people. That is because we are genuinely concerned.  I watched the most important person in my life die an excruciating death at the age of fifty, and it’s likely that her lifetime struggle of being unable to quit smoking may have contributed to her illness. It was terrifying for her and it was soul crushing for everyone she knew to watch her suffer in that way. Trust me, you don’t want to die that way.

Whether you’re eighty seven or twenty seven, it’s important to be conscious of your heart health. One in four deaths as a result of heart disease is a huge statistic, and honestly pretty frightening. The greasy cheeseburger might satisfy a need I think I have at this moment, but later I’ll regret every juicy bite if I am not careful. It doesn’t mean I should never eat a cheeseburger or taco again, but I need to make healthier choices each day overall. I would rather live a long, fulfilling life than base my happiness on today’s artery clogging cravings. This is one of the many reasons I have made the decision to get healthy. What are you doing to be heart healthy?

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Heart, Lung,and Blood Institute. October, 2015. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health