Healthy Heart

Power and Empower

Exploring the basics of keeping the heart healthy and empowering others to follow suit

NATION across the globe celebrate World Heart Day today. This year's theme - “Share The Power” - apart from challenging society to take up heart-healthy habits and lifestyles, urges those with healthy hearts to share their journey to inspire and encourage others in making “healthier” choices for their hearts and overall health.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

For anyone to take a stance on an issue or adopt a habit of change, he or she must first understand the “heart (or crux) of the matter”. In maintaining a healthy heart, it is no different. Before one can decide on the changes that need be - plusses and minusses to one’s lifestyle including food consumption, lifestyle routines and habits - one needs to really know their heart (the condition it is in).

Hence, a thorough medical check-up is recommended, focusing on the heart. Continue to do so regularly, to monitor one’s heart’s condition. Consider “key markers” to maintain good heart health, which include keeping tabs on blood pressure reading, glucose/ blood sugar level, cholesterol rate and body-mass index ratio/waist circumference, etc. Keep these in check regularly. While a doctor is able to conduct tests and explain the results, it is important to run through the “numbers” with your doctor/industry professional and know what the figures mean. Keep these within a healthy range to reduce the risk of heart disease and improve heart health.

FUEL YOUR HEART

As the saying goes “You are what you eat”, which boils down to the simple matter of fact that one shouldn’t expect a “clean” bill of health if on a junk food diet. Similarly, success comes with hard work, hence, one needs to work at maintaining good heart health, ie. via a healthy diet and good eating habits. However, although consuming health food is generally believed to be the raison d'etre for a healthier (thus happier) lifestyle, it does not guarantee a longer life span or a life free of disease.

Still, prevention is better than cure and medical experts and those in the healthcare industry, prescribe moderate food consumption and healthier food choice. Some of their advice – cut down on processed/pre-packed foods high in sugar and fat; stay off / lessen intake of sugary beverages and fruit juices, and choose water or unsweetened fresh juices instead; swap sweet treats and desserts with fresh fruit; eat about five portions (a handful each) of fruit and vegetable daily; and keep alcohol consumption within recommended guidelines.

Foods known to benefit the heart include: fish containing most omega-3 fatty acids; whole grain; vegetables like spinach and asparagus, tomatoes and broccoli; fruits like oranges, cantaloupe, papaya and berries; flaxseed; oatmeal; dark beans; plus dark chocolate (flavonoids in cocoa) and one four-ounce glass of red wine a day.

MOVE YOUR HEART

Research recommends keeping active as it puts you in a good mood and can help reduce the risk of  heart disease. However, bear in mind your limitations due to age, weight and general health and capabilities. We're not asking a 70-year-old sedentary person to run a marathon tomorrow for better heart health. Be practical and use common sense. It is wise to check with a medical doctor or healthcare professional on how, when and what exercise to get started on to improve heart health.

Being on the move or just moving more does wonders for overall health. This is recommended for those who do not take to routines or joining classes due to sardine-packed timetables and tight schedules.

Find “forms of exercise” or create opportunities to be more active in your daily life. Keeping physically active is reported to, besides enhancing heart health, lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol, reduce risk of diabetes, maintain healthy weight, maintain agility and flexibility improve muscle tissue and strength, tone body, strengthen bones and definitely works as a mood booster, among other benefits. Tips from this writer: park farther from your destination, take the stairs, do housework, take on activity-based hobbies, discover joy in playing with your children, etc. While it is important to exercise regularly, relaxation and rest to recuperate is just as crucial. In all, practice moderation.

LOVE YOUR HEART

Isn't it true that when you love someone, their interest is at heart and you want nothing but the best for them? In the same vein, loving and caring for your heart requires making right choices and decisions that lead to a healthier heart. These include making “cleaner” and healthier lifestyle choices and regularly “grooming and fine tuning”  your heart. Heavy drinkers are urged to learn of the negative effects of alcohol on their heart and  health. Smokers should find ways and means to kick the bad habit that undeniably puts them at risk of coronary heart disease. Moreover, exposure to secondhand smoke also leads to a long list of health problems, including heart disease.

Another important area many overlook is keeping stress levels in check. Although stress is an indirect risk factor for cardiovascular heart disease, it contributes to a great extent, affecting behaviours that lead to heart disease ie. high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, consuming excessive alcohol, overeating, etc. High levels of stress also hike up levels of stress hormones, affecting moods and increasing life’s challenges. Stress is also linked to blood clots, which increase the risk of a heart attack.

In short, loving your heart simply means caring for it and protecting it. Why is it important? Each individual will have to ask themselves and make the right changes. And when you find the strength and willpower to make those life changing adjustments, share some of that spirit of courage, determination and perseverance with others. In line with this year's World Heart Day theme, let us “take heart” and “Share The Power”.

WARNING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Physical signs - dizziness, aches and pains, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, ringing in the ears, weight gain and loss, posture, sweaty palms, exhaustion, racing heart, etc.

Mental signs - constant worry, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humour, difficulty making decisions, etc.

Emotional signs - anger, anxiety, crying, depression, frequent mood swings, loneliness, negative thoughts, nervousness, sadness, irritability, feeling powerless, etc.

Behavioural signs - compulsive eating and binging, critical attitude of others, bossiness, explosive actions, impulsiveness, increased use of alcohol or drugs, etc.

A Healthy Heart is a happy heart with Nestle Omega Plus

SOME 17.5 million lives are lost every year to heart disease and stroke, with heart disease being the leading cause of death m Malaysia over the past three years.

One of the main factors of heart disease is high cholesterol. According to the National Heart Institute CEO Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub_f 38.6% of Malaysians are not even aware that they have cholesterol problems.

A possible symptom of cholesterol problems, according to the American Heart Association, is pain or a squeezing sensation in the chest which happens when plaque forms and blocks the flow of blood and, in turn, oxygen, to the heart.

Plaque is an accumulation of fatty materials in our body, that builds up inside the walls of arteries.

These deposits can reduce blood flow through the arteries which can cause complications such as chest pain, heart attack or stroke.

A more obvious way of spotting high cholesterol is by examining the eyes, to check if there are yellowish lumps or growths at the side corners of the eyelids.

This is a skin condition called xanthelasma, made up of fat deposits that have built up under the skin.

Based on an individual's body conditions, these patches can

either be harmless or a sign of an underlying problem.

Of course, early prevention is always better than scrambling to find a cure. There are daily steps and lifestyle adjustments we can make to reduce its risks, such as moving away from a sedentary way of life.

Taking the stairs instead of the lift, doing stretches at the office every hour, and picking up a sport are just some of the ways of alleviating the risks of cholesterol.

Equally important is maintaining a balanced diet with food low in saturated fat and trans-fat, as these increase the levels of bad cholesterol.

Plant sterols are effective at lowering cholesterol levels as they block the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

Foods rich in plant sterols include wheat germ and wheat bran, nuts, and legumes. When consumed in large amounts, these foods are able to lower cholesterol levels.

Another alternative is to regularly drink milk formulations containing plant sterols, like Nestle Omega Plus milk.

Nestle Omega Plus has Acticol, plant sterols that help lower cholesterol by blocking the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream.

In fact, just two servings of Nestle Omega Plus each day has been scientifically proven to lower cholesterol levels.

Cher Siew Wai, corporate wellness marketing manager for Nestle Malaysia, advises everyone above the age of 20 to check his or her cholesterol levels at least once every five years.

She adds that the frequency of the checks should be more than that for individuals with a family history of heart problems. People should also be keeping active and maintaining a healthy diet. These are just some of the positive steps Malaysians can take towards better heart health together.

Keep Your Three Highs Low For A Healthier Heart

THIS World Heart Day, give yourself a high five if you find you have your “3 highs” in check!

With heart health at the back of many worrying minds, it was an eye opener to learn, during a renowned adult milk brand Anlene’s event, that one should keep “three highs” in check - high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Having shared the significant insight, UM Specialist Centre’s professor and cardiology consultant Dr Chee Kok Han also revealed that these three highs are main risk factors to non- communicable diseases, which account for an estimated 73% of total deaths in Malaysia. “Nearly one in every two Malaysian adults has high blood cholesterol; nearly one in every three has high blood pressure; one in every six has Type 2 diabetes; and nearly one among four heart attack patients are below 50 years old,” he added.

These among other reasons, drove Fonterra Brands (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to get innovative, recently introducing its heart-caring formulation called Anlene HeartPlus. “Our new product Anlene HeartPlus features both MoveMax, which supports bones, joints and muscles, and helps with ease of movement; and HeartMax, which is a combination of nutrients that cares for the heart while supporting movement,” said Fonterra’s marketing director Karen Ong.

The low-in-glycaemic-index adult milk formula is available at major retail outlets, nationwide.
For more information on Anlene HeartPlus and ways to stay heart healthy, visit www.anlene.com.my or www.facebook.com/AnleneMalaysia