As a member of AFAC gym, you workout regularly to maintain a healthy lifestyle. While exercising at the gym is a big part of staying fit, it’s equally important to stick to a nutritious diet that gives your body what it needs to remain strong and fight disease.

Did you know that the No. 1 health issue facing men and women in the United States and worldwide is heart disease? That means keeping our hearts healthy should be a top priority for all of us. The good news is that most heart disease can be prevented by making healthy food choices.

On Nov. 2, 2021, the American Heart Association released updated dietary guidelines for the first time in 15 years. The advice is consistent with dietary guidelines from the federal government but puts more emphasis on watching our dietary patterns instead of eating specific foods or nutrients.

Read on to learn more about the American Heart Association’s updated advice and to discover other ways you can focus on heart health, including regular workouts at our gym near you.

Even if You Go to the Gym, Your Heart Needs a Healthy Diet

The statistics on heart health are sobering. Every year, about 647,000 Americans die from heart disease, making it the leading cause of death in the U.S. It’s estimated that two-thirds of heart disease-related deaths around the globe are linked to food choices.

So how can we change our food choices to avoid heart disease? “Balance” is the key, according to the American Heart Association. That means we should think about our broad eating habits, instead of focusing on a few single foods to always eat, or to always avoid. Also, instead of a set of one-size-fits-all rules, the American Heart Association’s updated guidelines leave more room for everyone’s personal preferences.

How do we balance our diet to promote heart health?

A heart-healthy dietary pattern balances the following factors to achieve the biggest positive impact on our cardiovascular health:

Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
Choose whole grain foods instead of refined grain products.
Choose minimally processed foods over ultra-processed foods.
Minimize beverages and foods with added sugar.
Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.
Choose healthy sources of proteins, mostly from plant sources like legumes and nuts.
Regularly eat seafood and fish.
Replace full-fat dairy products with nonfat and low-fat versions.
If you do eat meat, choose lean cuts, chicken, or turkey instead of processed and high-fat meats.
Use liquid plant oils instead of animal fats (butter and lard), partially hydrogenated fats, and tropical oils (palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil).
If you drink alcohol, limit the amount you drink, or don’t start drinking if you already abstain.
Adhere to these guidelines no matter where the food is prepared or consumed.

How much should we eat?

Instead of offering specific calorie counts, the new guidance acknowledges that everyone’s calorie needs are different. If you’re physically active, then you have a little more flexibility in terms of how many calories you can eat. As you get older, your calorie needs will gradually decrease, so that should be considered as you plan your diet.

Also, as you balance how much and what you should eat, the goal should be to make sure that all of your calories offer value to your body. Eat nutrient-dense, heart-healthy foods instead of empty calories. Keep a food journal to count your calories and find out how many daily calories you need to achieve and maintain your goal weight.

Where should we eat?

Americans’ eating habits have changed over the years. Decades ago, people ate out once in a while as a treat, so they didn’t worry about their health during those rare special occasions.

Now, we regularly eat at restaurants and consume a lot of prepared foods from grocery stores and meal delivery services. Since many of us don’t prepare our own food, we need to pay attention to what and how much we’re eating, no matter where it comes from.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ever enjoy what you eat! You just need to choose carefully, be aware of the frequency of your special treats, and adjust your serving sizes. Many sources of takeout foods like restaurants and grocery stores publish the nutritional information of their food online. Take a few minutes to check the internet for info on your takeout and prepared foods.

We can take it one step at a time

If you feel overwhelmed by making wholesale changes to your diet, it’s perfectly fine to take baby steps toward your goal. For example:

Presweetened full-fat yogurt can be replaced with fat-free or low-fat yogurt that contains less sugar.
Crackers made with white flour can be replaced with whole-grain crackers that have less sodium.
Candy bars can be replaced with low-sugar protein bars.
White rice and pasta can be cut in half and replaced with an extra serving of vegetables.
White sandwich bread can be replaced with whole-wheat bread.
A couple times per week, high-fat and processed meat can be replaced with legumes, tofu, fish, chicken, or turkey.
Salads can be prepared with more vegetables and fruits, and less bacon bits and heavy dressings.
Alcoholic drinks should be limited to no more than one to two alcoholic drinks per day for men, and one drink per day for women. One drink is defined as 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.

Can heart disease be reversed?

The answer is, in many cases, yes! People who already shows signs of heart disease, even advanced heart disease, can undo some of the damage by making big changes to their lifestyle.

Dean Ornish, MD, is the founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He also has written several best-selling books including Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease.

In one study, Dr. Ornish asked patients waiting to undergo a heart transplant to follow his program. Some of them improved so much that they no longer needed a transplant. His studies showed that with significant lifestyle changes, heart function improved in less than a month and chest pains fell by 90%.

Ornish’s plan includes some pretty drastic changes to the typical American diet. To reverse heart disease, Ornish says it’s necessary to become a vegetarian. That means eating only fruits, veggies, whole grains, soy products, legumes, egg whites, and nonfat dairy. It also entails avoiding fats, processed carbohydrates, and refined sugar.

In addition to becoming a vegetarian, the Ornish plan also requires:

Sticking to a healthy weight
Walking at least 30 minutes per day
Participating in yoga, meditation, and other forms of stress reduction
Taking all your medications
Keeping up with your doctor visits
Not smoking and not being around secondhand smoke

Of course, these changes are meant for people who are facing a life-threatening illness. If you’re simply trying to maintain your heart health, it’s much more realistic and sustainable to move your lifestyle in a healthier direction gradually.

Gym Workouts and Other Ways to Improve Heart Health

In addition to following a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise is also credited with helping people prevent heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends these guidelines for physical activity, which are based on current scientific evidence that links exercise to heart disease prevention and an increased quality of life:

Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both. It’s best if you spread this cardiovascular exercise throughout the week.
Get moderate- to high-intensity strength training activity (such as resistance training or weightlifting) on at least two days per week.
Spend less of your time sitting. Even some light-intensity activity can offset the risks of being too sedentary.
If you’re not active now, check with your doctor before you start. They’ll let you know what you can do safely, and you can gradually build up to the recommended amount of activity over time.

In addition to your workouts at our gym in Thornton, there are a few other lifestyle changes you can make to protect your heart health:

Get plenty of good-quality sleep.
Find healthy ways to manage your stress such as physical activity, meditation, counseling, or massages.
Get regular health screenings to check your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels.
Quit smoking today.

AFAC Gym Is Here to Help Support Your Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

The team at AFAC gym is just as concerned about heart health as you are. That’s why we strive to maintain the best gym in the Thornton area with the equipment, classes, and support you need to achieve your fitness goals and maintain your overall health.

To learn more about AFAC gym and how to become a member, please stop by or call to speak to a member of our staff. You can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club for assistance.

To read more articles from Adventure Fitness Athletic Club, check out our Adventure Corner blogs by clicking here.