Keys to a Heart-Healthy Life

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The heart is a complex organ, yet keeping it healthy is relatively simple. The heart pumps blood and generates oxygen to fuel all of the body's vital organs. The good news is that what's good for the heart is also healthy for the rest of your body — starting with a healthy diet. For heart health, this means:

• Eat less fat. Fat provides taste to food and has many good qualities, such as transporting essential vitamins and nutrients to key organs in your body. However, too much fat can block your arteries and put you on the fast track to heart attack or stroke. The best approach to safeguard yourself from cardiac stress is to reduce your total fat intake. Limit foods in your diet that contain trans fats, or hydrogenated fats. Good fats to seek include olive oils, nut oils and Omega-3 fatty acids (found in cold-water fish).
• Increase the fiber. Fiber is very important to a heart-healthy diet. It's found in plant foods and is indigestible by our bodies, which helps us reduce the absorption of dietary fat, cholesterol and triglycerides. Fiber-rich foods include seeds, grains, herbs, legumes, fruits and vegetables. An apple a day (with peel) keeps the heart surgeon away!
• Eliminate excess salt. Table salt, in the form of sodium chloride, is an electrolyte used by the body to maintain fluid balance. The key word here is balance. Your body doesn't want extra sodium, as it can overload the kidneys' ability to regulate blood pressure, resulting in increased stress on your heart.

Next, get moving. Exercise is essential to keep your muscles strong and to generate oxygen throughout the body. Physical activity also helps keep the arteries free of plaque and helps our bodies convert food into energy.

Finally, take charge of your heart health. This means:

• Knowing your risk factors, including your family history
• Monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol
• Managing your diabetes as instructed
• Knowing the warning signs of heart attack in women. These may be different than in men, and may save your life. They include:
  • Pain in the upper back, shoulders, neck or jaw
  • Feelings of anxiety
  • Unexplained, excessive fatigue or difficulty sleeping

If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. Don't hesitate to call 911.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function in a person who may or may not have diagnosed heart disease. It occurs instantly or shortly after symptoms appear. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart's electrical impulses become rapid or chaotic, causing the heart to stop beating. Death is imminent unless a person is treated within minutes with an electrical shock from a device called a defibrillator. This is why many communities are now equipping their EMS squads with Automatic Electric Defibrillators. Once a patient receives a life-saving shock from an AED, he or she is likely to have a matchbook-sized defibrillator implanted into their chest wall and linked to their heart. This will protect them from future SCA.

Women, Are You at Risk?

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America. Despite efforts to educate women and men on this fact, many still mistakenly believe heart disease is a man's disease. It's not! Women, you are at an increased risk for heart disease if you:

• Smoke
• Are diabetic
• Have high blood pressure
• Have high cholesterol
• Have a family history of heart disease
• Are not physically active
• Are under stress
• Are post-menopausal

When you're good to heart, the rest of your body benefits, too. Make it a point to eat better, get active and make healthful choices and your heart will thank you.

For more information, please visit www.speakingofwomenshealth.com.