Blog

The Scary Facts About Heart Disease and Women That Will Get Your Blood Pumping

I bet when you think of a heart attack, you imagine an older, larger man clutching his left arm before crashing to the ground. You probably don’t immediately think of your Aunt Susan or your best friend Kim, or your son’s teacher Mrs. Dhaliwal. Maybe because Auntie Sue always seems to have so much energy and Kim is young and Mrs. Dhaliwal…well, she’s a woman and women have 99 health issues but heart disease isn’t one of them. Right? Wrong! 

Here are some scary statistics you need to know about, straight from the Women’s Heart Health Report of 2018:

Every 20 minutes a woman in Canada dies of heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of premature death for Canadian women.

5 times more women die from heart disease than breast cancer.

Early heart attack signs were missed in 78% of women.

Women who have a heart attack are more likely to suffer or die from a second heart attack than men.

Why the gender bias then when it comes to heart disease? 

The bias begins in research. Two thirds of clinical research on heart disease focuses on men and is then applied to the entire population. This makes no sense when women’s hearts are anatomically different from men. Our research is sub-par, and our testing methods follow suit. You can’t get accurate information about a woman’s heart from a machine that is designed to test a man’s. According to Yves Savoie, CEO of Heart & Stroke, “Women’s hearts are still misunderstood. We are decades behind in our knowledge of the differences between men’s and women’s hearts.”

The Women’s Heart Health Report http://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/2018-heart-month/hs_2018-heart-report_en.ashx?la=en&hash=3BBC7F1DD1DA3EDC6B2B0E9BB31E855268C051EB put out earlier this year by Heart & Stroke is telling and terrifying – but important to read and understand. Ladies, knowledge is power. And teaming up with a medical professional you trust is a great part of advocating for your own best health.

In my practice, my focus is on preventative care for this life-giving organ. Each patient is different and requires a customized plan but there are some general things you can do to keep your heart happy. 

HERE ARE 5 TIPS TO HELP YOU LOVE YOUR HEART

1. Eat a low-sodium diet that is loaded with fruits and vegetables. Remember, not all vegetables are created equal – swap a Caesar salad for a quinoa and black bean salad the next time you are out for lunch. Think of it as making one choice at a time. When you feel hungry next, make the best choice you can. 
2. Work that muscle! And do it in a sustainable, fun way that is perfect for you. That might mean starting out twice a week with a personal trainer. Or it could mean looking up videos on how to use the stairs at home to work out your glutes and quads. Throw in some music! Choose to make this your time. And if you start out slowly and then build up, you’re more likely to continue working out over a longer period of time than if you burn yourself out at the gym 6 days a week. 
3. Look for ways to reduce stress. Ok, easier said than done, you tell me. I get it. I’m a mom and I work and I do everything I can for my family. But I know that if I don’t take some time for myself, I start to lose my edge. Working out helps me reduce stress but so does saying ‘no’ to things I really don’t want to invest my time in. It’s going to look different for everyone but if you can work in one way to reduce stress at this point, that is a great start! It’s amazing what an hour in the garden by yourself can do if you’re someone who loves to connect in Nature. Lowering stress reduces your blood pressure which significantly decreases your chance of a heart attack.
4. Take heart-healthy supplements to support everything else you do. There are many different brands and products that you can find in health food stores; it’s best to check with your naturopath to decide what would work for you. In general, CoQ10, magnesium and omega 3’s are noted for their heart-healthy properties. CoQ10 can increase levels of HDL (also known as the ‘good’ cholesterol) tipping the ratio in favour of a happy heart. If you experience palpitations, you may be deficient in magnesium which is responsible for innervating the nerves that keep the heart beating regularly. And if you haven’t jumped on the omega 3’s bandwagon, you may want to look into this. Fatty oils from fish like salmon, mackerel and herring are known to decrease triglycerides and lower blood pressure among other amazing benefits. 
5. Keep a record of any symptoms that bother you. Sometimes by the time we get in to see a medical professional, we forget the details of the incidents we want to talk about. Like how long a palpitation lasted, or when it occurred, or what else was happening at the time. These could be important details to mention so it’s best to keep track somewhere. Along the same vein, if you are dissatisfied with your visit or didn’t feel ‘heard,’ advocate for yourself by speaking up again. And if you are still not feeling comfortable with the results of a visit, try a second opinion. 

You have many people counting on you to live a long, healthy life but there’s no one more in control of that than you. It’s important that medical research catch up to the point where more is known about a woman’s heart and what makes it tick – and what makes it not – but in the meantime, there is a lot you can do to advocate for yourself and take care of your precious heart.

8 Ways To Combat High Blood Pressure In The Kitchen

The Silent Killer. Sounds like the title of a movie you don’t want to watch alone, late at night; it conjures up the image of a dark shadow lurking by the living room window, looking in on the unsuspecting babysitter. Unfortunately, the silent killer we’re talking about here relates to your health and isn’t something you can switch off or ignore. 

High blood pressure, or hypertension, has earned this nasty nickname because it can be present without any symptoms. It’s also one of the leading causes of death in North America. Unlike a horror movie, however, you have some control over how the scenes play out! Knowledge is power and there is plenty of information out there that is helpful, encouraging and even life-saving. I’m dishing out the goods here, like a handy cheat sheet for you to embark on a path to a heart-healthy lifestyle. 

To begin with, it’s important to understand what blood pressure is and why you don’t want it to be high. Basically, as your heart pumps blood throughout your body, it pounds against the sides of your blood vessels. Your blood pressure is the strength of that pushing. So, you can see that if your blood pressure is too high, it’s bad news for your arteries and your heart; they all become weaker. This can lead to heart attack and stroke.  

As with most matters of the body, what you eat is vital! Let’s take charge by understanding how nutrients affect our body so we can combat high blood pressure with some good eats!  What you want to focus on is the relationship between potassium and salt in your body. These two must live in balance to keep your kidney happy. Your kidney eliminates fluids by filtering your blood, then sends the extra fluid to your bladder so it can see itself out. The kidney’s job is important because if we retain too much fluid, our blood pressure goes up. Unfortunately, when we eat salt, we disrupt the kidney’s work. But our friend, potassium, solves that problem by balancing out the effects of salt. It’s like its superpower! Thankfully, we can get potassium from a variety of fruits, vegetables and other foods so we can create a delicious plan of action that starts in the kitchen. 

8 Foods That Combat High Blood Pressure That Need To Be On Your Grocery List

1. Leafy greens. Get creative with your dark green lettuces, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, spinach and cabbage! You can enjoy them in a salad but why not throw them in a smoothie? Frozen greens have just as many nutrients as fresh, and they help create the perfect texture for a creamy smoothie. Add a handful to your wrap or sandwich or wilt some on the stove with some balsamic vinegar to dress up your plate. Throw a little baby spinach into your tomato sauce in the last few minutes of cooking before you serve it on your whole-grain pasta. There are so many ideas out there that make eating at least one serving a day super easy. https://lesliebeck.com/articles/2017/04/24/7-ways-to-eat-more-leafy-greens
2. Berries. These are also great fresh or frozen. A delicious addition to any smoothie or topped on cereal, granola or non-dairy yogurt, it’s not hard to get in a handful of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. Berries also make a tasty dessert or snack, so if you can’t throw them in to a regular meal, you can have a guilt-free treat at some point throughout the day!
3. Beets. Also known as ‘nature’s candy’ and with good reason! They are so tasty simply roasted. They have a natural sweetness and are totally versatile in how you can serve them up. 
4. Oatmeal. Remember when you went to your grandma’s house for sleepovers and she served you a comforting bowl of warm oatmeal in the morning? She knew what she was doing! It’s a high-fiber, low-sodium way to start the day, and very easy to prepare. Try this overnight oats recipe and then add in your berries for extra heart-healthy goodness. http://ohsheglows.com/2015/07/22/vegan-overnight-oats/
5. Bananas. Have you heard of the Potassium Bullet before? That would be your average banana, super high in potassium and just as easy to eat, even on the go. Just another reason to love this natural sweetener!
6. Salmon and other fish with Omega-3s. There are so many good things to say about eating fish like salmon, mackerel, trout and others. They do wonders for your heart health because their omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure and triglycerides. The ways in which you can prepare them are countless and they can easily be paired with leafy greens for a complete meal that you can feel good about. 
7. Garlic. It makes sense that widening your arteries can lower your blood pressure, and superfood garlic does just that by increasing the nitric oxide in your body. Garlic is found in plenty of tasty (and aromatic!) dishes or if you’re brave, you can swallow it raw after chopping a clove and letting it sit exposed to the air for a minute. Chase it down with a glass of water and carry on with your day, knowing you just did something awesome for your hard-working heart!
8. Olive oil. Last but certainly not least, it’s easy to get in your good fats with some olive oil in your homemade salad dressing. You can make a simple vinaigrette like this one https://www.kitchentreaty.com/how-to-make-a-simple-vinaigrette-salad-dressing/ to dress up those leafy greens, or toss some plain olive oil and chopped herbs onto pasta for a nice light lunch.

When you are armed with this knowledge and a heart-smart grocery list, the ‘silent killer’ has got nothing on you! Get your culinary creative juices flowing in the kitchen and write the plot of your healthy life.