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With the Frost of Winter Breaking for Spring
Kathryn Rogowski, Bowling Green State University Dietetic
Intern with the Oho State University Extension, Lucas County
Guest Column
With the
frost of winter breaking for spring, it is time to
reevaluate the behaviors that we as families have adopted
during the makeshift hibernation. What are we willing to
change/adopt or simply try to help make our heart healthier
over the course of February?
A healthy
heart can include several categories of review: a normal
weight, physical activity, adopting the DASH diet, lowering
sodium and moderating alcohol consumption. So what do we
mean when we review these categories and how do these
categories help to lower your risk for heart disease and or
hypertension (high blood pressure)?
A normal weight is
considered a BMI falling between 19 and 24; however this is
not the only way to judge your normal weight. Ask yourself,
“Do my clothes fit the same way they did a year ago? Two
years ago? Does it look like I am carrying any extra
weight?”
These questions can help to evaluate
whether your weight can be considered normal. Healthy weight
helps to reduce risk for heart trouble as there is a high
correlation between central obesity and heart disease.
Physical activity helps to keep the heart strong and can
help to control and maintain body weight. It is recommended
that we get about 30 minutes of activity three days a week.
As a family it would be beneficial to
include “family field trips” which could combine an outdoor
activity like hiking or going to park with a healthful snack
such as apple slices with peanut butter. By using the field
trip method, you can plan the week ahead and shop with a
list for the healthy snack ingredients, which can also help
to stretch your dollar and save you money.
Field trips are also a great way for
you as a parent to introduce your children to the
relationship between food and play. Research shows that
children introduced to healthy eating and physical activity
habits while younger will be more likely to practice these
behaviors when they are older. Never underestimate the
impact of food and activity on your family.
Other options for
increasing heart health could include using the DASH diet
which emphasizes eating more fruits, vegetables and low fat
dairy while decreasing saturated fat and total fat. Simply
reducing the amount of sodium (salt) found in the diet could
be an ideal place for change.
For an average adult the recommended
sodium intake is 2,300mg which is approximately one teaspoon
of salt. To reduce the amount of salt in the diet one can
choose to limit the amount of sodas being consumed, use
herbs when cooking rather than salt or removing the salt
shaker from the table so you aren’t as inclined to add extra
salt.
Including more fresh fruits and
vegetables in the diet limits the excess sodium that can be
found in canned/frozen items. If you use canned vegetables,
drain them and rinse them with water before using to reduce
some of the salt. The use of lower fat milk products is a
great way to reduce the amount of total fat found in the
diet while also getting essential vitamins and nutrients.
As adults, we frequently forget that
milk is good for us too! Many times we tell our children to
drink their milk however, including low fat milk in the
whole family’s diet can help to manage weight and reduce
excess fat. Another opportunity for reducing fat in the diet
could be to use less oil and butter in preparation for meals
and substitute with nonstick sprays.
The final category for reducing risk
to the heart would be to moderate the amount of alcohol
being consumed daily. The average man can have two servings
of alcohol a day while an average woman can have one serving
of alcohol daily. Drinking alcohol is correlated to an
increased risk for heart disease and hypertension therefore
by moderating the amount being consumed one can limit the
amount of risk to which they are exposed.
While these are all areas
that one can review and make changes in, it is important to
remember that even small changes are good changes. Do not
feel discouraged if you struggle in making change. Remember
that by making a change for your heart you can also help to
reduce the risk that your children may be exposed too as
well. So, what changes are you willing to try today?
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