Regular Exercise and Diet Can Help Prevent Heart Disease

The heart is the most important muscle in the body. It is an intricate pump that receives oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and uses just the right amount of force to send it back through the arteries and out to the body's tissues.

Forty million Americans have heart disease and 50 million have chronically elevated blood pressure or hypertension, which is one of the most common of all diseases. High blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer". Poor eating habits and not enough exercise both contribute to high blood pressure, one of the risk factors for heart disease.

There are conventional medications and natural remedies that can help heal heart disease, but the best treatment is prevention. The best way to prevent heart disease is with regular exercise and a healthy diet. If you already have heart disease your commitment to a fitness program and a healthy diet will determine your ability to recover from it.

Diet is crucial to a healthy heart. Your diet should include lots of fruits and low-fat dairy products. Five or more servings a day are what nutritionist recommend. The DASH diet, which stands for "Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension," includes at least nine servings of fruit and vegetables, along with low-fat calcium-rich dairy products. Research has shown that the Dash diet, especially in combination with reduced dietary sodium can significantly lower blood pressure.

Fiber, especially soluble fiber found in barley, oatmeal, legumes, carrots and apples help reduce cholesterol levels if eaten regularly with a diet low in saturated fat. Include whole grains such as whole wheat bread and oatmeal. Be sure to eat foods containing folic acid, a B vitamin that has been associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Check product labels for folic acid content, especially fortified cereals. Some good food sources would be dark leafy greens, broccoli, cooked dry beans, and oranges. Multiple vitamins are another potential source of folic acid. Substitute oils such as sunflower, safflower, corn, soybean, olive canola and peanut oil for butter or shortening. Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, bass and halibut contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered heart healthy.

Get moving! Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise such as walking, five or more days a week. Three 10-minute segments count. Regular physical activity will strengthen your heart, improve oxygen delivery to tissues and may lower blood pressure and increase HDL cholesterol levels.

Never self-treat heart disease, it is a very serious and potentially life-threatening illness. You must continue to see your family physician or cardiologist on a regular basis. If you are taking medications for heart disease, you should work with your doctor to build an individualized program.

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