Heart disease

MY MOTHER died of a heart disease. She had congestive heart failure. Sometimes when I remember how much she suffered, I’d ask myself how can we avoid being one of its victims. Thus, I vowed to do all means to help and educate people on taking care of one’s heart through proper exercise, nutrition and self-discipline.

Many people take for granted the value of being physically fit because they think it is a waste of time. Being busy with work keeps them away from keeping fit. Excuses such as this have caused thousands to meet untimely deaths all because they ignore to take care of their bodies due to laziness.

Heart disease is a gradual process that takes years to develop into a serious condition. At first there are no warning signs. If the coronary arteries become severely blocked, a person may experience shortness of breath or chest pressure and pain (angina pectoris) that is relieved by rest. Other signs of an impending heart attack may include lightheadedness, sweating, nausea and pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of or overlook these signs. Fifty percent of those who have heart attack wait two hours or longer before seeking treatment and many die before reaching the hospital.

Diagnosis

During my course of training as coach and fitness trainer, I always advise that before a person can

undergo and begin a cardiovascular health program, he should take into account the following factors: family history, blood pressure, cholesterol level, weight and if possible required a stress electrocardiogram (ECG) tests. After assessment of the person’s risk factor, the person can begin.

Conventional treatment

Conventional treatment of heart disease often involves the use of medication to address symptoms such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Every year, a lot of people undergo surgery such as coronary bypass and angioplasty (in which a balloon catheter is used to open clogged arteries to restore their heart worsen condition). Being a fitness practitioner for more than three decades, I strongly believe that this is one way of saving lives. I have some clients who undergo this kind of treatment and in order to keep themselves fit they do some fitness regimen. I have no doubt about this treatment but I have some comments about drug companies that mislead the public into believing that medications for high blood pressure are safe and always necessary. We hear these advertisements on the radio and read them in newspapers—that patients have to stay on these medications for life and should never stop taking them. But this is really just a sales pitch from companies that manufacture these drugs. I agree, as what your doctor tells you, with not stopping one’s medication but is there another way to complement this in order to lessen or minimize taking your medication. The

solution here is to work with a complementary medical physician until your heart’s health is restored. In some cases, medication may be needed long term; even for a lifetime. But we will all benefit from improving our lifestyle and diet. For those who are under medication, I suggest the following:

1. Diet

We all know that eating right can reduce the risk of heart disease. This means reducing our fat intake. The power of vegetarian diet in a cardiovascular health program was recognized in a now famous study by Dr. Dean Ornish. The Ornish study placed heart patients on a protocol of healthy vegetarian foods daily exercise and relaxation. At the end of the year, a significant number of patients showed improvement in their heart condition and in some, the disease was even

reversed. Medicine in general owes Ornish a great deal of gratitude as he showed that a drastic reduction of fats was most important. If we want to have a healthy heart we should cut fat intake into 30 percent with only 10 percent of this in the form of saturated fats (fats found particularly in animals, palm and

coconut oils and hydrogenated vegetable oils). We have been told that margarine made from polyunsaturated fats is good for the heart and will lower cholesterol. That is not true. Instead of margarine, use olive oil, canola oil, or flax seed, almond, safflower, sunflower or soy oil. Of these, olive oil would be at the top of my list.

2. Heart-healthy foods

Diet plays a vital role for a healthy heart. The diet should be high in complex carbohydrates including grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. Some of my clients who have some heart problems respond well when they eat more vegetables although a number of studies show that fish also reduce the risk of getting a heart disease. Fish may or may not be the reason for this. It may be that eating more fish means eating less chicken and meat. Cutting those foods out of the diet helps. Broccoli and other vegetables are the first foods to turn to. From broccoli and all kinds of vegetables, seeds, legumes and grains, we get beta carotene and maybe Vitamin C. Also, you can lower your blood pressure by eating vegetables such as garlic, broccoli,

asparagus. You should have at least five servings of vegetables and three of fruits each day—raw, steamed or juiced. Once you start you will notice a world of difference in your overall vitality. Other valuable heart foods are rice and beans which are complete proteins rich in fiber and B-complex vitamins.

3. Exercise

Regular exercise for at least three times a week and an improved diet should go hand in hand. Twenty or thirty minutes of aerobic exercises, brisk walking, jogging or running help the good cholesterol go up significantly which in turn helps remove cholesterol from arterial wall after the cells are through with it, so it is less likely to form plaque. Also, I strongly advise that you do some stretching before and after workout. Stretching relaxes the body and keeps you limber and more flexible. Exercise has many benefits but it is not a complete activity that can keep you fit. Some people

assume that cholesterol can be burned off by exercise, that as a result people who engage in athletics and body building can eat more meat and eggs without suffering ill effects. There is no scientific basis for this. On the contrary, studies have shown that good conditioning and muscle tone do not necessarily put a person in good cardiovascular condition. You should combine it with proper diet. There have been a lot of cases where marathon runners have died of a heart

attack. Yes, they were conditioned, long-distance runners but they all had cholesterol levels of 270-290, etc. They appeared to be very fit but were not physically well.