Information and Guidelines for a Healthy Heart

Introduction

How do you keep your heart healthy?

There are many things you can do every day to help keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk for heart disease.

Heart disease is recognized as one of the leading causes of death in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is often the small steps, on a day-to-day basis, that lead to the biggest results for a healthy heart.

The purpose of this booklet is to increase awareness of the importance of healthy eating, active living, and being smoke-free, and their positive impact on heart health. Managing stress and controlling blood pressure are also important factors to keep in mind.

This booklet provides helpful information, tips, and a list of community resources to help you get started or stay on the road to heart health.

Eat Healthy

Healthy eating is an important ingredient for heart health!

Good eating habits may help decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke!

Some traditional Newfoundland meals are high in fat and salt. Too many of these meals are not good for the heart. Serve meals high in fat and salt less often or try changing the way they are cooked to make them more heart healthy.

To eat healthy, follow Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. The guide recommends variety, moderation and daily servings from each of the four food groups:

• 5-12 servings of Grain Products
• 5-10 servings of Vegetables and Fruit
• 2-4 servings of Milk Products
• 2-3 servings of Meat and Alternatives

The number of servings you need from the four food groups depends on your age, body size, activity level, whether you are male or female, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Choose whole grains, dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often as they contain more of the nutrients needed for good health.

Cutting back on fat may decrease the risk of heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol levels.

By becoming familiar with Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating and practicing healthy eating habits, you will be walking on the road to heart health!

For a copy of Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating, please contact your local Health and Community Services office.

Be Active

Physical activity is another key to heart health!

Active living is a way of life in which physical activity is valued as an important part of your daily routine. This means finding activities which you enjoy and can fit into your daily schedule at home, school, or work.

Active living can be simple and consist of any type of physical activity, such as, walking, biking, dancing, snow shoveling, gardening, fitness classes, swimming and many others.

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

It only takes 60 minutes of light activity every day or 30 minutes of moderate activity 4 days a week to produce positive health benefits.

Canada’s Physical Activity Guide recommends various activities which people and communities can do to ensure they are active. The guide emphasizes variety to guarantee results and improve health. The guide suggests:

• endurance activities, 4-7 days a week
• flexibility activities, 4-7 days a week
• strength activities, 2-4 days a week
• reduction in sitting time.

Start slowly and add up your activities in periods of at least 10 minutes each to reach your goal of 60 minutes a day of light activity or 30 minutes, 4 days a week.

Physical activity improves our physical, emotional, and social well-being.

People who are physically active on a regular basis feel less stress and are more positive and upbeat.

Physical activities that are enjoyed are more likely to be continued.

An active person generally has a stronger heart and good blood flow which reduces their chance of having a heart attack or stroke.

Add active living to your daily routine along with healthy eating to help you jog down the road to heart health!!

For a copy of Canada’s Physical Activity Guide, contact your local Health & Community Services office.

Stay Smoke-Free

Being smoke-free is absolutely necessary for a healthy heart!

Smoking has a serious effect on heart health as smokers have a 70% greater risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to non-smokers (Canadian Council on Smoking and Health, 1996).

Smoking causes blood pressure to rise and cuts off oxygen to the heart, forcing it to work much harder.

The smoke from the burning end of a cigarette is known as Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) or Second-Hand Smoke. This smoke is unfiltered and can cause more damage to a person than first hand smoke (the smoke a smoker inhales).

Be cautious of ETS. Reduce the harm from this smoke by making your home and car smoke-free. When eating out choose the smoke-free section of a restaurant or bar. Your lungs will thank you!

Smoking is an addiction that is difficult to break. To be most effective, quitting smoking involves a combination of four key things:

• being ready
• building skills
• having support
• choosing an alternative therapy (i.e. nicotine-free pill, nicotine patch, nicotine gum, hypnosis, or acupuncture.)

When you stop smoking the health benefits occur almost immediately:

• After 20 minutes, your blood pressure returns to normal.
• After 24 hours, your chance of having a heart attack decreases.
• After 2 weeks, your circulation improves, and walking becomes easier.
• After 1 month, your body’s energy level increases.
• After 1 year, your risk of developing heart disease is one half that of a smoker.
• After 5 years, your risk of having a stroke is that of a non-smoker.
• Within 15 years your risk of developing heart disease is equal to a non-smoker.

Combine smoke-free habits with healthy eating and active living to help you sprint down the road to heart health!

Manage Stress

Managing stress is a positive step towards heart health!

Stress is a natural part of life. However, if we feel we do not have the skills to deal with daily events and situations then we call these events ‘stressful’.

Stressful events can lead to a variety of symptoms including:

• muscle tension
• headaches
• sleep problems
• changes in appetite
• increase in blood pressure
• problems concentrating

Although stress can be a risk factor for heart disease, stress can be managed or reduced when we understand which situations cause us stress and how we can best deal with these events. Some tips for managing stress include:

• regular physical activity
• healthy eating
• relaxation activities
• being smoke-free
• taking care of yourself
• talking to others
• managing your time
• building pleasure into each day

Control Blood Pressure

Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is key for a healthy heart!

The cause of high blood pressure is unknown, but your blood pressure level may be controlled by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy adults should have their blood pressure checked at least once every two years. People with high blood pressure should have it checked more often, as recommended by their doctor.

The best way to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level is to eat healthy, be active, stay smoke-free and manage your stress. This will pave the road to heart health!!

Community Resources

Try these community resources for additional information about heart health and heart health activities.

Healthy Eating:

• Health and Community Services offices in your area
• Private nutrition consulting agencies
• Heart Smart™ Cooking Course, Heart and Stroke Foundation, 753-8521

Active Living:

• Community and recreation centers in your community
• Recreation and Sport Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, 729-5281
• Newfoundland and Labrador Parks and Recreation Association in your area
• Check out dance and walking clubs!
• Look for gyms and fitness centres that cater to your fitness needs!
• Try alternative activity clubs like yoga and martial arts!
• Swimming pools!

Being Smoke-Free:

• Alliance for the Control of Tobacco, 753-0079
• Canadian Cancer Society, 753-6700
• Lung Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, 726-4664
• Smokers Quit-Line, 1 800 363-LUNG (5864)

Heart Health Coalitions

A special thank you to the Heart Health Coalition, St. John’s Region, for developing the original brochure.

Heart Health Trivia Contest

Instructions: Circle the answers to the following questions. Upon completion, fill in your name, phone number and location at the bottom of the page. Place contest entry form in the box provided for a chance to win a prize. Good luck!

Eat Healthy

1) How many servings of milk products are recommended each day for an adult?

1. 5 - 12 servings
2. 2 - 3 servings
3. 2 - 4 servings
4. 5 - 10 servings

2) Good eating habits may:

1. Reduce blood cholesterol levels
2. Decrease risk of heart attack and stroke
3. Improve overall health
4. All of the above

3) Some Newfoundland meals are high in __________ and ____________which are not good for heart health.

1. vegetables and fruit
2. fat and salt
3. salt and vinegar
4. grains and butter

4) How many servings of vegetables and fruit are recommended each day for an adult?

1. 5-12 servings
2. 2-3 servings
3. 2-4 servings
4. 5-10 servings

Be Active

5) How much light physical activity is needed to produce positive health benefits?

1. 60 minutes/day, 7 days/week
2. 30 minutes/day, 3-5 days/week
3. 20 minutes/day, 3-5 days/week
4. 10 minutes/day, 2 days/week

6) People who are physically active on a regular basis:

1. Are less stressed
2. Have improved physical, social and emotional well-being
3. Neither a nor b
4. Both a and b

7) Which activities are considered part of active living?

1. Dancing
2. Gardening
3. Swimming
4. Walking
5. All of the above

8) Physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

1. True
2. False

Be Smoke-Free

9) Smoking causes the heart to work harder because:

1. Blood pressure rises
2. Blood pressure falls
3. Oxygen to the heart is reduced
4. Both a and c

10) Which of the following is a heart benefit of quitting smoking?

1. Chance of having a heart attack decreases after 24 hours
2. Blood pressure returns to normal after 20 minutes
3. Risk of having a stroke is equal to a non-smoker after 5 years
4. All of the above

11) Environmental Tobacco Smoke is another term for second-hand smoke.

1. True
2. False

12) Second-hand smoke is the unfiltered portion of a cigarette that:

1. Only affects the person smoking the cigarette
2. Harms unborn babies
3. Can cause illness and death in non-smokers
4. Both b and c

Name: ________________________________________

Phone: ________________________________________

Location: ________________________________________

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