Healthwatch: Tips to prevent heart disease

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. In this week’s Healthwatch we hear from dietician Tamara Henzlik on ways to lower your risk of heart disease.

“You probably already know that high cholesterol and high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease. But do you know about inflammation? Research shows that it plays a key role, and working to lower it may reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Inflammation is part of your body’s immune response to an injury or illness. When you have a wound or an infection, inflammation fights germs and facilitates healing. For short-term conditions, this is helpful.

However, sustained low levels of inflammation irritate and damage cells and promote the growth and gradual build-up of plaque in inside of the artery walls. Plaque can loosen and trigger blood clots-the primary cause of a heart attack or stroke.

The good news is that you can lower inflammation by adopting healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors.

Here’s what you can do to reduce inflammation:

1. Brush and floss your teeth routinely
2. Quit smoking
3. Enjoy being active.
4. Make sleep a priority
5. Adjust our response to stress
6. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk for multiple diseases. But carrying excess fat around your belly is a red flag for heart disease risk. That type of fat (called visceral fat) secretes a molecule that increases inflammation.
7. Also, adopt a healthy eating pattern.

Try to limit processed and fast foods such as refined carbohydrates, like white bread and pastries, deep-fat fried foods such as french fries, added sugars like soda, and processed meats. Try to choose more Anti-inflammatory foods.

Eat more: tomatoes, avocados, beets, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, nuts like almonds and walnuts, fatty fish, like salmon and sardines, dark chocolate, fruits especially cherries and add spices to meals, such as turmeric, oregano or cinnamon.

Remember, you don’t have to make all of these changes at once. Pick one to get started and once it becomes a part of your routine, choose another to add. In today’s world, we all must try to create an anti-inflammatory lifestyle to feel better now and protect our heart in the long run,” Henzlik said.

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