The heart is one of the busiest organs in our body. Beating 100,000 times a day, it pumps blood which carries the oxygen and nutrients that our body needs. That is why we need to keep our heart healthy for it to work properly for a long time. Once the heart stops working, the body shuts down.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the collective term pertaining to the group of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. It is considered as the number 1 cause of death globally including the Philippines. In 2017, ischaemic heart disease was recorded as the leading cause of death in the country. Other leading causes of death among Filipinos are cerebrovascular disease (stroke), hypertension, and other heart diseases.
The increasing cases of heart diseases has led the country to declare the month of February as Philippine Heart Month through Proclamation No. 1096 s1973. The celebration aims to raise awareness on the importance of cardiovascular health and dedicate resources on medical research and experimentation on the heart and related diseases.
Who are at risk?
The most important thing to note is that majority of the risk factors for CVDs are preventable. Most common risk factors associated with heart diseases are unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, smoking and heavy drinking.
Eating of too much salty, fatty, and sugary food and beverages may lead to overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high level of bad fats and cholesterol that may lead further to heart diseases.
Nicotine in cigarettes also makes the blood vessels to become narrow. This causes the heart to work harder to pump enough blood supply for the body. Less physical activity may also lead to overweight and obesity.
Stress is not a direct contributor for CVDs. However, stress leads people to live unhealthy lifestyle. Other factors include age, hereditary factors, and gender. When CVD runs in the family, it is better to keep your health in check as early as possible.
What to do to prevent heart disease?
Focus on making your diet healthy to live a longer life.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Eat a variety of foods every day to ensure that your body gets all the nutrients it needs. Keep in mind that your meal should be balanced and varied. Follow the Pinggang Pinoy and make your plate colorful every meal by eating foods from the three (3) food groups: Go, Grow and Glow.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits as these are rich sources of vitamins and minerals that make our body strong to fight off diseases. They also contain dietary fiber, plant protein and antioxidants. Dietary fiber helps maintain regular bowel movement and helps reduce blood pressure.
Limit intake of salty, fried, fatty and sugar-rich foods and beverages. Reduce fat intake by removing fat in meats and using vegetable oil instead of animal fat. It is also recommended to use healthier cooking methods such as steaming, grilling, baking, and broiling instead of frying. As much as possible, avoid products that contain trans fats which are found mostly in processed foods. Also, limit consumption of foods with high amounts of saturated fats.
Limit salt consumption by removing salt or high sodium seasonings during food preparation. If possible, do not put salt or any sauces on the table. Choose products that are low in sodium and avoid eating salty foods and “empty-calorie” foods such as chips and other snack foods with low nutrient value. Lastly, reduce consumption of sugar-rich and sugar-sweetened food and beverages.
Do not forget to hydrate properly. Drink at least eight (8) glasses of water every day.
Shift to a healthy lifestyle to keep your heart in good condition.
Engage in regular physical activity and maintain a normal body weight with proper diet. Have one (1) hour or more of physical activity every day. Physical activity includes the daily living activities, household chores, exercise, dance and sports and other recreational activities that gets you moving.
Reduce screen time to two (2) hours or less each day to prevent sedentary lifestyle. Spend less time sitting still. Get up from your seats every hour and move around. Stop smoking, limit alcohol intake, and manage your stress well.
Lifestyle change is the most effective way to prevent heart disease. We need to take care of our heart and avoid foods that will raise our sugar and fat levels and blood pressure. Because our heart matters, we must live a healthy lifestyle for a longer, productive life ahead.
This Philippine Heart Month, let us be happy healthy, ka-heartner!
Authors: NO II Theresa A. Rivas and NPC Milagros Elisa V. Federizo
References:
- https://doh.gov.ph/node/1058
- https://psa.gov.ph/vital-statistics/id/138794
- https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)
- 2017 Nutrition Month Talking Points
- 2019 Nutrition Month Talking Points
