diet & exercise

diet & exercise

There are many sayings when it comes to diets. ‘You are what you eat.’ ‘If you eat what your parents ate, then you will get the diseases they got.’ These two sayings speak to the core of lifestyle diseases. A good balance diet with some physical activities will reduce or even reverse the likelihood of getting lifestyle diseases.

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In particular to atherosclerosis, the changes in nutrition and physical activity that can reduce the likelihood of getting this lifestyle diseases can be found in the publication by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. They recommend to have a ‘Heart-healthy Lifestyle Changes’ that include, healthy eating, managing stress, avoiding smoking, and more physical activity.

Physical Activity

Changes in physical activity would range from a reduction in the sedentary lifestyle where we need to be mindful of sitting at a desk all day, not consciously getting up and walking around to at least doing a moderate aerobic exercise at 2 hours and 30 minutes a week. Vigorous aerobic exercise should be at least 1 hour and 15 minutes a week. Persons would benefit from being active, increasing heart rate and using more oxygen than usual. Benefits may include a reduction in bad cholesterol low-density lipoproteins (LDL) which build up in your arteries, increase good cholesterol high-density lipoprotein (HDL) which helps remove bad cholesterol, control blood pressure and help reduce weight.

Changes in Nutrition

Eating to reduce the likelihood of atherosclerosis works well with an increase in physical activity. Lifestyle eating change should include consuming ‘vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, nuts, seeds, soy products, legumes, and vegetable oils (except coconut and palm oils). Also, it limits sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and alcohol.’ 

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan which includes:

• Vegetables: such as greens (spinach, collard greens, kale), broccoli, cabbage, and carrots.

• Fruits: such as apples, bananas, oranges, pears, grapes, and prunes

• Whole grains: such as plain oatmeal, brown rice, and whole-grain bread or tortillas

• Dairy: Fat-free or low-fat dairy foods such as milk, cheese, or yogurt

• Protein-rich foods: Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and trout, about 8 ounces a week, Lean meats such as 95 percent lean ground beef or pork tenderloin and Poultry such as skinless chicken or turkey

• Eggs

• Nuts, seeds, and soy products.

• Legumes such as kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans

• Oils and foods containing high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help lower blood cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some sources of these oils are: Canola, corn, olive, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and soybean oils

• Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and pine nuts

• Nut and seed butters

• Salmon and trout

• Seeds such as sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, or flax

• Avocados

• Tofu

DASH works well with an increase in physical activity to reducing the likelihood of atherosclerosis.

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Medical Procedures and Surgery

It is important to note that not all person react to physical and nutritional changes at the same rate and sometimes medical procedures and surgery may be the only option that can reduce the likelihood of getting lifestyle disease you have. After medical procedures and surgery Doctors can then recommend a physical and nutritional lifestyle change to prevent or reduce the likelihood of atherosclerosis.