Grandma was right: daylight, home-cooked meals, family and friends can improve heart health.
I treat cardiac patients. Many of them have serious heart conditions that require intensive monitoring and eventual intervention, but I also treat patients who are having their first electrocardiogram (ECG).
Heart health is a lifelong thing that people consider as a measure of their overall health, and they are not wrong. Poor diet, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption and smoking are generally unhealthy and conventional risk factors for heart disease in medicine.
Every now and then someone asks me, “So what’s the secret to a healthy heart?” I don’t have an answer! Genes? If your parents or grandparents didn’t take ACE inhibitors or statins, you may find it easier to maintain a healthy heart.
But the secret is no secret at all. You know the choices that are heart-healthy. You should ask yourself: What is the secret to doing the things I know I should do?
I would like to suggest an answer to this question. The answer is: make things more fun – and adopt some of the old ideas of our grandmothers.
Eat the rainbow, but 80/20
Any move toward healthier habits should start with diet. There are so many things in the supermarket that are highly processed and unhealthy, but there are just as many whole and nutritious alternatives.
I advise people to eat colorful foods – eat the rainbow. Start in the produce section and then move on to fresh meats and then dairy. This will avoid the brown tones common in frozen meats, packaged starches, snacks and candy that crowd the indoor aisles.
My grandmother loved to cook with fresh, wholesome foods. But she also loved sweets!
So try eating 80/20. That’s 80% clean (whole, unprocessed foods with little or no added oils or dressings) and 20% fun. Strict diets lead to failure.
Eat like grandma
My grandma loved to cook for us. She seemed happier when she cooked a big meal for all of us than when we all went out to eat occasionally and gave her a night off.
Not every home-cooked meal is heart-healthy, but almost all restaurant meals contain added sodium, sugar, oils and fats that are not found in home-cooked meals.
I advise my patients to eat more meals at home. This is key to a more nutritious diet. My patients who do this tend to maintain a healthier weight.
Out into the daylight
I played soccer all through high school and college. (I also played college rugby!) As an adult, I’ve run, coached soccer, done yoga, and am currently learning to surf. When it comes to exercise and outdoor activities, everyone is different, but I believe in the joy of getting out into the natural light.
An activity that gets your heart rate up is so beneficial for cardiovascular health. Being outside makes me happier and gives me the dose of daylight that’s important for vitamin D and longer sleep. Remember to apply UV protection and wear a hat.
My grandmother was not a sporty woman, but she loved to go for walks. Especially with a friend. Go out, walk on our beautiful beaches. Walk your beautiful dog. I make time for that almost every day.
Receive annual laboratory work
I don’t know if my grandmother had a blood test done every year, but I advise the grandmothers I visit and all my patients to do so!
Blood tests monitor our sugar levels (A1C), our lipids (cholesterol), and our kidney function, among other things. They provide a snapshot of how our bodies are responding to our diet. They are good for setting goals and creating a health plan for the future, and many insurance plans, even those with a copay for a regular doctor’s visit, cover annual checkups.
Visit us like grandma
And finally, make time for your family, close friends and neighbors. This connection and social support is associated in literature with happiness and longevity. Maybe it’s happiness itself. Or maybe the presence of people in our lives leads to us hearing the words “You don’t look so good – I’m taking you to the hospital” more often.
So stay after the service to socialize with others. Stop to chat with a neighbor. Call old friends.
It’s a great joy to feel connected to others and to be there for them. Ask your grandmother.
Wendy Fiumano is a certified registered nurse and family nurse practitioner who treats cardiac patients at Health First Medical Group Gateway’s practice. She came to Health First from Orlando Health in Ocoee, Florida, where she was a heart failure cardiology nurse practitioner. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, summa cum laude, from Northern Arizona University, where she was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
To take a short online test to assess your heart health, visit Heart risk assessment | Health comes first.
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