Longevity Bloomington Newsletter #11- Eight Best Ways to Improve Your Heart Health
Research Roundup: Life's Essential 8
Earlier this year, the American Heart Association released "Life's Essential 8". These are the eight most important measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. As most of you know, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States and worldwide. As a result, it is very important to do as much as you can to improve the measures below.
How much can you reduce your likelihood of disease by paying attention to the eight factors below? Having five or more of the factors in the "healthy" range can reduce your likelihood of cardiovascular disease by 80%, having a stroke by 69% and of dying by 45% versus those individuals that have two factors or less in the healthy range (Fang, 2016).
The benefits of improving your cardiovascular health extend beyond your heart. Improving your cardiovascular health is associated with reduced risks of cancer, dementia and kidney disease. It is also associated with better brain function, improved quality of life and lower health care costs!
Here are the eight factors that will improve your heart health the most:
Eat Better
2. Be More Active
You should aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week. In addition to this, you should include resistance training at least twice per week. When possible increase the intensity of the exercise. Increase time, distance, amount or effort for more benefits. Sit less. Get up and move throughout the day.
3. Quit Tobacco
Within one year after quitting smoking, your risk of heart disease goes down by half. Smoking is the most preventable cause of death in the U.S. It’s linked to about one third of all deaths from heart disease and 90% of lung cancers.
4. Get Healthy Sleep
Seven to nine hours of sleep every night is the goal. Put your phone on "do not disturb" each night to avoid notifications from waking you up. Even better, do not have your phone in the bedroom at all! Dim your screen at night or use a blue light filter app. The bright blue light of most devices can mess with your circadian rhythm and melatonin production.
5. Control Cholesterol
Follow the diet advice above to help keep cholesterol levels under control. Physical activity helps improve cholesterol levels. The fats you eat can also affect your cholesterol levels. Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Smoking lowers good HDL cholesterol. Take medication as directed.
6. Manage Blood Sugar
Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. This damage can eventually lead to heart disease. Choose healthier carbohydrate sources such as whole grains, vegetables, fruit, chickpeas, beans and lentils. Avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. Stay active. Physical activity increases the amount of glucose used by your muscles and helps the body use insulin more efficiently.
7. Manage Blood Pressure
Elevated blood pressure is the leading cause of death in the world and the second leading cause of disability (He, 2007). It significantly increases the risk for stroke, heart attack and kidney disease. You can help to manage your blood pressure by exercising regularly, keeping your weight under control and eating a healthy diet.
8. Manage Weight
Obese individuals are 2.5 times more likely to have heart disease than normal weight individuals. There is no “best diet” for weight loss. The single most important factor in determining whether or not a diet will result in weight loss is an energy deficit. You need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. The best diet for weight loss is a diet that results in a caloric deficit that you can stick with over the long-term.
Not All Protein Is Created Equal
We are constantly preaching the importance of getting enough protein in your diet because protein helps us maintain and add muscle mass. Most adults 50+ are not getting enough (Krok-Schoen, 2019). When looking at the amount of protein on a food label, it is important to consider the source of the protein as not all protein is created equal.
The quality of a protein is vital when considering the nutritional benefits that it can provide. Determining the quality of a protein is determined by assessing its essential amino acid composition, digestibility and how well the body can use the amino acids. Proteins from animal sources (i.e. eggs, milk, meat, fish and poultry) generally provide the highest quality proteins (Hoffman, 2004). This is primarily due to the ‘completeness’ of proteins from these sources.
Plant proteins can also be helpful in reaching your goal but you will need to include a variety of whole grains, beans, and lentils in your diet so that you get enough of all nine essential amino acids. If you choose to get your protein solely from plant sources, you will need to eat a larger amount of food to reach your protein goals.
Here is a helpful chart showing the protein quality of different food sources. The higher the number, the better your body can use the protein to build muscle.
source: https://outliveforever.com/best-plant-based-protein-sources-for-vegetarians-and-vegans/
New Longevity Members
We have added five new members since our last newsletter:
Jane
Sharon
Dorci
Lois
Jan
Welcome to the Longevity family!
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