How is your Heart?
Does your heart need some TLC?
I spend so much time talking about gut health, sleep and nutrition, building strength and balancing hormones, that sometimes I can forget that your heart is central to your health and fitness! Well, there are two reasons to talk about heart health just now - firstly my sister Sheila telling me she had heard that running down hill is better for your heart than running up (OMG - YES!! This is a life-changer!!!) and this month is heart health month.
Often we get so fixated on goals and achievements and beating what we did last, or competing with the person next to us, that we forget that sometimes less is more (think gold jewelry!!) I regularly talk about this in my classes and with clients, asking people to focus on what they are doing and making sure their form is good and they are working at optimum speed, rather than trying to do more than the person next to them. In fact I have a client at the moment who is working with me 1:1, solely on form, to ensure he uses the correct technique to not only prevent injury, but to get more out of each repetition in a circuit class he goes to every week. No he won’t be doing the most reps at that class, but he will be getting greater muscle growth, be working his core, and be preventing injury, which is a win, win, win in my book! (This is relevant, I promise - please keep reading!)
I also run regularly with a good friend Susie. She is however very competitive and has to get to the top of every hill first! It is very tempting to try to keep up! However, research not only shows that the eccentric (pronounced ‘eeecentric’) phase of strength exercises (when the active muscle is lengthening under resistance, usually when you are returning to the start point of the push/pull/lift), if done slowly, is more effective at building muscle strength, mass and function than the concentric phase (the work phase of the exercise), but also that walking or running downhill is better for us in terms of heart health (reducing resting heart rate), insulin sensitivity (potentially reducing the risk of or even reversing type 2 diabetes which is a risk factor for heart problems) and reduced blood fat levels (vital for reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease). It also uses the eccentric phase of muscle movement more than going up, so you will get all the benefits of this too. Performing the eccentric phase of an exercise slowly also increases the post exercise calorie burn because the increased micro-damage to the muscles takes more energy to repair and rebuild, so slow eccentric phase exercise can be used as part of a weight loss programme, and reducing the fat around your middle is vital for improved cardiovascular health.
So you can now exercise smart for heart health, because you know you can walk up the hills and run down and benefit from greater improvements to your heart health, which may make you more likely to go for that run!
Added to this, it is important to understand how your nutrition can impact heart health. Many of us are being called up for health checks as we get older and having blood tests to check for, as well as other things, high cholesterol, which is a sure sign of bad things to come wrt cardiovascular health, and having our blood pressure checked. So let’s look at what you can do to reduce the risk of increased blood pressure and cholesterol.
Reduce your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrate - think all things beige (bread, pasta, potatoes, crisps, biscuits, cake)
eating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates can mean the body has too much glucose in the bloodstream to store as glycogen in the muscles and liver for later use. This excess gets converted to triglycerides and stored in fat cells, causing weight gain AND increased triglycerides in the blood which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Reduce animal fats
a recent study found no substantial link between eating red meat and heart health, however, cutting down, and choosing less fatty cuts is important, as a high intake of animal fat, both from meat and in butter and cheese for instance, is linked to heart disease as it increases fats in the blood
cardiologists suggest that it is what you eat alongside your meat which could be instrumental in increasing your risk of heart issues - the sauces, chips, alcohol and fizzy drinks are more likely to cause issues due to high salt content, trans fats and sugar (see above)
Increase good fats (omega 3)
avocado, nuts and seeds, olive and coconut oil and oily fish are all great for your heart (and your brain and all your cell membranes and nervous system)
omega 3 fatty acids reduce triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol (the good sort), so improving cardiovascular health
they also reduce inflammation in the body which can improve overall health and your risk of cardiovascular disease
Increase fibre
although the mechanism through which this works is not completely understood, many studies have shown that increased fibre intake through wholegrains, vegetables, pulses and legumes reduces blood pressure and bad (LDL) cholesterol, and because it keeps you feeling full for longer, can help to regulate your weight, all good for the heart.
Supplement
omega 3
make sure it is of the highest quality and has been screened for heavy metals, which are detrimental to overall health
there are also environmental issues here, so try to get a supplement from smaller fish which is less detrimental to the overall health of our oceans
l-arginine
l-arginine is required by the body for nitric oxide production by the endothelium of blood vessel walls.
as we age, our endothelial cells become less efficient, plaque build-up can prevent the cells releasing nitric oxide, and our blood vessels become less pliable, causing higher blood pressure and atherosclerosis. l-arginine has been shown to reverse this process and hence regulate blood pressure
a good l-arginine supplement may also reduce cholesterol
Synergy’s ProArgi9+ has been listed in the physician’s handbook in the USA as the best l-arginine supplement on the market. It also contains vitamin K for good blood coagulation, and vitamins B6 and B12, both important in red blood cell formation. The supplement as a whole is exceptional for keeping your blood and circulation in tip top condition!
coQ10
coQ10 is found in high concentrations in heart cells because it is central to efficient energy production and the heart needs a lot of energy to keep pumping 24/7
there is some research which suggests supplementation may reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol and slow the progression of atherosclerosis (plaque build up) in the blood vessels
What could you do today which could improve your heart health? Just running downhill and walking the ups could be a start, but if you want to do more, think about introducing some better eating habits and perhaps supplementing where you know your intake of vital nutrients is low. You can find the supplements I use from Synergy Worldwide by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.
#onehealth.