BETTERHEALTH
A
h
e a l t h
i e r
h
e a r t ,
o n
e
d
a y
a t
a
t i m
e
G o o d
n e w s :
B e c a u s e
w o m e n
t e n d
t o
d e v e l o p
h e a r t
d i s e a s e
l a t e r
i n
l i f e
t h a n
m e n
d o ,
p r e v e n t i v e
m e a s u r e s
h a v e
m o r e
t i m e
t o
w o r k
t h e i r
m a g i c ,
s a y s
c a r d i o l o g i s t
N i e c a
G o l d b e r g ,
M . D .
T h e s e
i n c l u d e
e x e r c i s i n g
r e g u l a r l y ,
e a t i n g
a
d i e t
t h a t ’s
r i c h
i n
w h o l e
f o o d s ,
m a i n t a i n i n g
a
h e a l t h y
w e i g h t ,
a n d
n o t
s m o k i n g .
T o
h e l p
m e e t
t h e s e
i m p o r t a n t
g o a l s ,
s t a r t
w i t h
a
f e w
s i m p l e
m o v e s .
7 a . m . S p r i n k l e s l i v e r e d a l m o n d s
o n y o u r c e r e a l .
R esearch sh o w s th a t th e s e n u ts can lo w e r th e risk o f
h e a rt d ise a se b y re d u cin g levels o f h a rm fu l L D L c h o le s -
te ro l. In ad d itio n , a n tio x id a n ts and v ita m in E fo u n d in
alm o n d sk in s m igh t p re v en t p laqu e fro m fo rm in g on
a r te r y w a lls. B on u s p o in ts if y o u r ce re a l is m ade w ith
w h o le g ra in s, w h ich help k eep b lo o d p re ssu re in ch eck .
8 a . m . T i m e y o u r t o o t h b r u s h i n g s e s s i o n .
R ecen t stu d ie s sh o w a stro n g a sso cia tio n b e tw e e n g u m
d ise a se and h e a rt d isea se , p o ssib ly b e ca u se u n h e a lth y
g u m s ca u se sy ste m ic in fla m m a tio n . S o d o n 't ru sh y o u r
m o rn in g b ru sh . T h e A m e rica n D en tal A sso cia tio n says
y o u n eed at le a st tw o m in u tes to clean te e th and g u m s
th o ro u g h ly . U se y o u r w ris tw a tc h to tim e y o u r s e lf o r pick
a b ru sh w ith a b u ilt-in tim e r lig h t.
9 a . m . D i s t a n c e y o u r s e l f f r o m y o u r
d e s t i n a t i o n .
P eo p le w h o ta k e at le a st 5,0 0 0 step s d u rin g th e d ay
(abou t 30 m in u tes o f w a lk in g to ta l) are 40 p ercen t
less lik e ly th a n se d e n ta ry p eo p le to d eve lo p m eta b o lic
sy n d ro m e , a p re cu rso r to h e a rt d isea se. S o w h e re v e r
y o u 're h ead ed , tr y p a rk in g d o w n th e b lo ck o r in a fa r
c o rn e r o f th e lo t, su g g e sts N a n e tte W en g er, M .D ., a
c a rd io lo g ist at th e E m o ry U n iv e rsity S ch o o l o f M ed icin e.
A fe w m in i-w a lk s ca n h elp y o u h it th e ta rg e t.
10 a . m . S t a n d u p a n d s t r e t c h .
M id m o rn in g is on e o f m o st p ro d u ctiv e tim e s o f day,
w h e n co n ce n tra tio n and fo cu s are at th e ir p eak . But
d o n 't g e t to o a tta ch e d to y o u r ch air: P ro lo n g e d p e rio d s
o f s ittin g are a sso cia te d w ith h ig h e r lev e ls o f ch o le s-
te ro l— and an in cre a se d risk o f h e a rt-rela ted d eath .
A im
to u n se a t y o u r s e lf fo r a fe w m in u tes e v e ry hour.
1 2 :3 0 p .m . K e e p t h e j u n k o u t o f l u n c h .
Y ou a lre a d y k n o w to eat so m e th in g m ade w ith fresh ,
w h o le in g re d ie n ts— su ch as a c ru n c h y g re e n salad to p p ed
w ith g rille d ch ick en and lo w -fat d ressin g . Just w a tch
o u t fo r th e “ h a lo e ffe c t.'' T h is is th e sn e a k y te n d e n c y to
o v e rin d u lg e in ju n k fo o d lik e ch ip s and so d a a fte r e a tin g
a v irtu o u s e n tre e . R em em ber: H eart h e a lth d o e sn 't end
at th e m ain dish.
2 :3 0 p .m . N i b b le a h i g h - f i b e r ,
h i g h - p r o t e i n s n a c k .
G re a t c h o ic e s in clu d e h u m m u s w ith w h o le w h e a t
c ra c k e rs an d ap p le slice s w ith a sm e a r o f n a tu ra l
p e a n u t b u tte r. In a d d itio n to d e liv e rin g h e a rt-h e a lth y
n u trie n ts , sn a ck s w ith th is n u tritio n a l p ro file sa te
y o u r a p p e tite b e tte r th a n p ro c e s se d fo o d s lik e c o o k ie s ,
Dr. G o ld b e rg e x p la in s. T h is m a k es y o u less lik e ly to
o v e re a t a t d in n er.
4 p .m . T a k e a s a n i t y b r e a k .
S tre ss o fte n s trik e s in la te a fte r n o o n as p ro d u c tiv e
d a y lig h t h o u rs d w in d le . D o n 't g e t fr a z z le d . T a k e a
10 -m in u te b re a th e r an d d o s o m e th in g re la x in g , su ch
as lis te n in g to m u sic o r e -m a ilin g a frie n d . “ D e c o m -
p re ssin g in s tr e s s fu l situ a tio n s b rin g s d o w n y o u r
b lo o d p re ssu re an d h elp s y o u feel m o re in c o n tro l,"
says c a rd io lo g is t J e n n ife r M ie re s, M .D .
6 p .m . D r i n k ( i n m o d e r a t i o n ) .
T h e A m e rica n H ea rt A sso c ia tio n reco m m e n d s th a t
w o m e n co n su m e no m o re th a n on e a lco h o lic d rin k
p e r day. A t d in n e r o r h a p p y h our, g e t m ore b a n g fro m
y o u r b e v e ra g e b y ch o o sin g red w in e . It co n ta in s
a n tio x id a n ts and co m p o u n d s su ch as re sv e ra tro l th a t
are a sso cia te d w ith lo w e r h e a rt d ise a se m o rta lity .
9 p .m . P o w e r d o w n y o u r g a d g e t s .
S u rfin g th e W eb , te x tin g on y o u r c e ll, and w a tc h in g
T V ca n in te rfe re w ith sle e p b y s tim u la tin g th e b ra in ,
so sto p sc re e n -b a s e d a c tiv itie s a b o u t an h o u r b e fo re
b e d tim e . Y o u r h e a rt w ill th a n k y o u , sa ys D r. M ieres:
“ W o m e n w h o g e t at le a st 6 h o u rs o f sle e p e v e r y n ig h t
h a ve le ss p laq u e b u ild u p in th e ir b lo o d v e s s e ls th a n
w o m e n w h o sle e p le s s.”
10 p .m . H u g y o u r f a m i l y g o o d n i g h t .
A lo v in g to u c h — w h e th e r it's fro m a m a ssa g e , a
sn u g g le se ss io n , o r a g o o d b e a r h u g — sp u rs th e re le a se
o f o x y to c in , a ch e m ic a l th a t ca n b rin g d o w n b lo o d
p re ssu re b y e n h a n c in g th e fle x ib ility o f b lo o d v e s s e ls ,
sa ys Dr. G o ld b e rg . H o w 's th a t fo r s w e e t d ream s?
