Five easy things you can do to love your heart

Dr. Masud Khandaker, MD, PhD, was consulted for this article. Dr. Khandaker is a cardiologist and Osler’s Chief and Medical Director of Cardiology. Dr. Khandaker is also a member of Osler’s Cardiac Leadership Council and is the Medical Director of Echocardiography Labs at Osler. He completed his medicine and cardiology training at the Mayo Clinic, where he also served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, each year more than 350,000 Canadians are hospitalized for heart disease or stroke. Up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke cases are preventable by adopting healthy behaviours. Show your heart a little love and do something healthy by implementing these tips:

Cut down on sugar

Eating too much sugar has been linked to cardiovascular disease and several other health issues. Sweeten homemade smoothies, cereals, muffins or salad dressing with fruit instead of table sugar. Keep an eye out for hidden sugars by checking ingredient labels. Choose products with the least amount and try cutting back by using less dressing or putting one sugar in your coffee instead of two.

Add an extra veggie and olive oil to lunch or dinner

Studies have found that diets low in fruits and vegetables can increase the risk of heart attack. Sneaking an extra vegetable in at lunchtime or dinner can help you reach the recommended daily servings of vegetables/fruits and help reduce your risk of many chronic diseases.

Eat more meatless meals

Try substituting protein-rich foods for meat in your favorite recipes. Beans and legumes are packed with protein, fibre, are lower in saturated fats than most meats and can help improve cholesterol levels. Beans, nuts, chickpeas or lentils and other whole grains are also great in casseroles and salads, and tofu or fish can be a good addition to stir-fry dishes.

Add 10 minutes of physical activity to each day

If you can’t find the time during the day for exercise, implement it into your routine by parking farther away, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, change a meeting into a walking meeting or try adding a 10-minute walk into your lunch hour. Exercise often improves the blood fats by decreasing triglyceride levels and raising good cholesterol levels.

Quit smoking

This is one of the biggest risk factor that contributes to heart disease. The incidence of a heart attack is greatly increased among smokers compared to people who never smoked.