Exercise Helps Heart Handle Stress

We know aerobic exercise can lower blood pressure. But most studies demonstrating this effect have looked at healthy adults, rather than the overweight hypertensive adults who are at greater risk of heart disease.

A recent study at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., found that aerobic exercise such as biking, walking, and jogging for 3-4 hours per week at a moderate to vigorous pace, can not only help overweight hypertensive adults lower their blood pressure, but also improve their overall cardiovascular response to mental stress, another risk factor for heart disease.

Other benefits of regular aerobic exercise were lost weight, improved cardiovascular fitness, lowered heart rate, more dilated blood vessels and more efficient pumping of the heart.

What to do: Bike, walk, or jog for 30 minutes daily, making sure to elevate your heart rate. Calculate your target heart rate range by taking 220 minus your age in years to get your maximum heart rate. Then, multiply that number by 0.65 and 0.85 each, to get the lower and higher ends of your target heart rate range.

Here's an example for a 50 year old:

220-50 = 170 beats per minute (maximum heart rate)

170 x 0.65 = 111 beats per minute (lower end of the target heart rate range)

170 x 0.85 = 145 beats per minute (higher end of the target heart rate range)

If you are just starting an exercise program, aim for the lower end of the range, and if you have been exercising for a while, aim for the higher end of the range.

To check your heart rate during exercise, place your forefinger and middle finger 2 inches behind the underside of your wrist and count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply by 6 to get your heart rate.

Source: Hypertension, August 2000; 36, 2, 171-176; acefitness.org

Success! Take Responsibility and Wield Your Power

When working toward improving ourselves, few things are more important for success than assuming personal responsibility for our progress and results. When the going gets tough it is easy to look outside ourselves, to our surrounds, peers or life circumstances, for the causes of shortcomings and solutions to problems. While these external factors are often out of our control, internal factors such as thoughts, emotions and behaviors experienced in response to a situation are well within our realm of influence. Owning a position of personal responsibility for what we experience in life provides us with tremendous power to shape our successes.

Whether they are health related, professional, social or other, the outcomes we experience in life are built on the occurrence of a specific event combined with our response to that event. In other words, outcome is largely influenced by perception; not only composed of what actually occurs externally, but also how that occurrence is perceived and processed internally. This can be considered in the form of an equation:

E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)

While influence over an external event (E) will often be limited, we can always control how we respond or react (R) to the event. In turn, we can control the outcome.

For example, an individual has been working toward lowering blood pressure by exercising more, eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking less alcohol. Upon his next blood pressure measurement he sees that there has been no change. This unfortunate “event” in combination with a reaction of frustration, denial, anger and placing blame externally creates an outcome of perceived failure and reduced self-worth that will ultimately knock him off the track toward his goal. Alternatively he may respond to this event by recognizing all the good that has come of his efforts - increased energy, reduced weight, clearer cognition and improved familial relationships – creating a positive outcome of partial success that will further encourage him toward his ultimate goal. By taking responsibility for his experience he shapes his success in improving his health.

So next time you experience some turbulence in working toward your health goals, aim to shift your perspective and connect with a more considerate response to your situation. Recognize the positive that has come of the steps you have taken. Take responsibility, control your response, wield your power and shape your success!

Reference: Canfield, Jack. The Success Principles. Collins: New York. 2005.

February Vegetable of the Month:

Chayote Squash

New Recipe: Chicken Mole with Chayote and Vegetables

6 servings

Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin removed
3 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 dried guajillo chilies, seeded
6 tomatillos, husks removed, washed and chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp ground cumin
3 cups water
4 chayotes, peeled and chopped
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed

Directions:
Place chicken and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. In a large pan, cook chilies over low heat, turning frequently, until they change color and become fragrant. Stir in tomatillos, onion, garlic, cumin and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Let cool. Place chili-tomatillo mixture (mole) in a blender container. Puree until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir the thickened mole into chicken and broth. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add chayotes and green beans. Cook 5 minutes. Drain. Serve with chicken and mole.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/6 of recipe
Calories 380, Fat 10g (sat fat 3g), cholesterol 180mg, sodium 240 mg, carbohydrate 20g, fiber 6g, sugar 8g, protein 52g

February is Heart Health Month

February is American Heart Month, a time to recognize the dangers of heart disease, get educated and take steps to lower your risk. Heart disease, including stroke, is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, killing an estimated 630,000 Americans each year, despite being largely preventable.

In the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack and even death.

You are at higher risk for medical complications from heart disease if you are:

• A woman age 55 or older
• A man age 45 or older
• Or a person with a family history of early heart disease

That being said, development of heart disease and/or its risk factors can begin at much younger ages as a result of poor diet, lack of exercise and unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Making health changes to lower risk and/or manage existing risk factors can be easy. Some things to keep in mind:

• Watch your weight.
• Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke.
• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
• Get active and eat healthy.
• Minimize and manage stress
• Talk to your doctor about your person risk status and what you can do to improve it

Read more in the GPNS health library keyword Coronary Artery Disease