By Marie Dufour, RD – Researchers recently reviewed the data of almost 21,000 men followed for over 22 years in the Physicians’ Health Study and examined the relationship between lifestyle and heart failure.
The six lifestyle factors that protect men against heart failure are:
1 – Normal weight
2 – No smoking
3 – Regular exercise
4 – Moderate alcohol intake
5 – Consumption of breakfast cereal
6 – Consumption of fruit and vegetable
By comparison, men who did not adhere to any of the six lifestyle factors were twice as much at risk as men who stuck to at least four desirable factors.
The good news here is that men don’t have to be perfect. When it comes to heart health, adhering to 4 out of 6 good behaviors is good enough. It is no surprise that men who exercise, don’t drink much alcohol, and consume fruit and vegetable keep closer to a normal weight than men who don’t.
So, gentlemen, pick four. What will it be? Let’s shuffle the cards and see what they mean, not only for heart health, but also for overall health.
6 – Eat five-a-day of non-starchy fruit and vegetables. High in bulk, low in calories, they are part of a weight-control diet. Their high fiber content helps eliminate cholesterol and their high vitamins and antioxidant properties confer heart health.
5 – Non-sugary breakfast cereal (oatmeal, non-fat granola, plain cheerios) are also high in cholesterol-reducing fiber. Their bulk confer gut health, and their slow carbohydrate release provide satiety and sustained energy.
4 – Limiting alcohol intake to two drinks a day helps control triglycerides, spares the liver, and prevents loading up on empty calories.
3 – Thirty minutes of daily exercise is the norm. It can be split in 3 periods of 10 minutes in a squeeze. But even one hour once a week of vigorous exercise confers heart-healthy benefits… go, weekend warriors, go!
2 – No smoking. Period. ‘nuf said, or do I need to remind you that smoking causes blood vessel damage, and various cancers (lung, stomach, liver,) etc..?
1 – Waist circumference under 37″ (94cm) is the goal. Instead of thinking “weight,” think “volume” and imagine the extra work demand on the heart in order to percolate that big belly…
Play your cards rights. If these are entirely new behaviors, pick ONE. In a month, pick ANOTHER ONE…. and so forth, and be a healthy winner.
Filed under: Lifestyle, community nutrition, diet, public health , diet, weight loss, weight control, exercise, healthy lifestyle, obesity, drinking, public health, Marie Dufour RD, healthy living, workout, heart health
