Heart disease affects millions of people, including the sixteen million people that die from some form of the condition every year (Source: Natural News). There are a number of different ways of dealing with heart disease, including lifestyle changes and medications. In some cases, surgery may become the only option if the heart disease has progressed. In 2006, there were 450,000 coronary bypasses performed and in 2007 there were 2200 heart transplants (Source: The Texas Heart Institute Information Center)
The Coronary Artery Bypass is the most common type of heart surgery but is by no means the only one. Valve repair or replacement surgery is also a commonly performed surgery. Valves are typically replaced with either a biological valve from human or animal sources, or a mechanical valve that is made from plastic, carbon or metal. Arrhythmia surgery is also performed often; however, these irregular heartbeats are typically treated first by medications. No matter what type of heart surgery is needed, there are at least five people on the cardio surgery team and it can involve six to eight weeks of recovery. To prevent the need for heart surgery in the first place, it is important to first learn the risk factors and then to learn better ways to care for yourself.
Maintaining a healthy weight is the key to reducing or eliminating a number of heart disease’s major risk factors. These include:
– Obesity
– Diabetes
– High cholesterol
– High blood pressure
– Smoking
– Sedentary lifestyle
(Source: The American Heart Association)
A healthy diet is the key to losing weight and keeping it off. Weight loss should not be accomplished by dangerous or fad diets, which will not only fail, but can also cause more weight gain. Some fad diets may also have more serious consequences. An all-liquid protein diet, for instance, increases the risk for developing gall stones, with a risk that is up to 25% higher than for those who are not using the liquid diet long-term. In addition, these diets may cause electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats, especially in those who are susceptible to them. (Source: www.colombianet.isource/winter95/diet.html)
Diet Suggestions
The DASH diet (DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is the one that is recommended by the American Heart Association. It focuses on foods like fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and healthy fish while reducing or eliminating red meats and saturated fats. Most of the protein in the DASH diet is plant-based protein instead of animal-based. In a study involving the diet, 24% of those who were following DASH or similar diet plans were less likely to develop coronary heart disease and 18% were less likely to have a stroke. (Source: Heart Insight 2008) The DASH diet reduces blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease.
Finding the right diet can be difficult. First, it must have enough calories to provide energy throughout the day. If the calorie count is too low, the body will feel that it is starving and will slow or stop the metabolism altogether. To keep the metabolism burning correctly, to keep the body as healthy as possible and to keep the weight at the right level, it is important to find the right diet plan with the correct amount of the necessary nutrients.
Every healthy diet should be made of healthy carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbs should be 50% of the overall daily calories, while protein should make up between 25-35% and fats should make up the rest. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for the body, including the brain. Proteins are used to build various tissues in the body as well as being part of every function, including digestion, sleep and ovulation. The right amount of protein has to be reached – too much can lead to kidney and liver damage, while too little can destroy the metabolism and lead to the destruction of lean muscle mass.
Case Study: Heart Disease and Two At-Risk People
Chris and Shirley have been married for 25 years and they have found out recently that they are both at risk for heart disease for different reasons. Chris is an overweight smoker who has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and uncontrolled diabetes. He lives on a steady diet of simple carbohydrates and red meats and works a desk job. His only exercise when he gets home is walking the path that he wears between the couch and the fridge in the evening. He typically goes to bed at 2 AM, is back up at six and starts the day all over again the exact same way.
Shirley is Chris’s direct opposite. She has never smoked, however, she is exposed to secondhand smoke on a daily basis. Every day she gets up and does yoga and then has a healthy and well-balanced breakfast before heading out for a walk with the dog. She also plays volleyball with other women her age on the weekends. Shirley never eats red meat and sticks to mostly vegetarian proteins; however, she does eat turkey and fatty fish to protect her heart. Despite the fact that she is so healthy, Shirley is at risk for heart disease because of her family history and because of the secondhand smoke that she must deal with on a daily basis. Short of divorcing the man that she loves, there is not a lot that she can do to change her risks, so she must make sure that she is taking the best care of herself that she can.
Both Chris and Shirley are using a protein supplement, Profect, from Protica. They have decided that they will use the 200 gram size of this supplement, getting ten servings of high quality protein in a more economical way. They are trying several of the flavors; however, Chris prefers to mix his with apple juice in the morning. Shirley also uses Profect in the single serving size as a between-meal snack. She has talked her husband into reducing the amount that he smokes as well as making him do so outside of their home from now on. He walks with her and the family dog and tries to get more sleep each evening.
Shirley’s heart risks are only slightly lowered from before, so she has frequent checkups and has learned the warning signs of heart attacks for women (as they are different from those of a man). Because of the continuing worry with her husband, she has also become certified in CPR from her local Red Cross.
Chris has lost only ten pounds, but it is encouraging to the doctor, nonetheless. He will be continuing on several medications and will also be starting a new diet that will help him to reduce his weight and heart disease risk factors a little faster. He is also being encouraged to join his office’s softball league in the coming summer months so that he can get more exercise than he is used to. By then, the doctor hopes that he will have lost another 15-20 pounds. He has also been banned from eating red meat at all, sticking instead to turkey, chicken and fatty fish.
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein drinks for weight loss surgery patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright