Heart-Healthy Exercise Habits

People always talk about how they're going to the gym to do some "cardio." What's that really mean? Whether they're running on a treadmill, riding the recumbent bicycle or using an elliptical machine, they're talking about doing aerobic exercise - otherwise known as cardio because of its profound cardiovascular benefits. Plain and simple, when you're doing aerobic exercise, you're using oxygen to replenish energy stores, which means the heart and lungs are working harder and getting stronger in the process. By comparison, anaerobic exercise (for example, weight training), requires your body to create energy without using oxygen. Here are some of the other benefits of aerobic exercise:

• Increases blood supply to muscles and ability to utilize oxygen.

• Increases amount of blood pumped (per beat and per minute).

• Increases HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers triglycerides.

• Increases blood supply to muscles.

• Reduces resting heart rate.

• Reduces resting systolic/diastolic blood pressure.

Reduces high cholesterol and risk of developing high cholesterol. To achieve the maximum cardiovascular benefit during aerobic activities, you should exercise for at least 20-30 minutes at a time and build to your "target heart rate" - this is a range of beats per minute that represents approximately 60-85 percent of your maximum heart rate. The more time spent exercising within this safe range, the more you stand to gain, cardiovascularly speaking. Remember to always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program, particularly if you have any pre-existing heart condition.

What your Body Needs

Many people think nothing of eating a double cheeseburger, medium
fries and a medium cola. If you dissect this "meal," you'll find
that on average, it contains an unbelievable 68 grams of fat (17
teaspoons), almost half of which are saturated; 15 grams of trans
fatty acids; 150 mg of cholesterol; 1,200 mg of salt; and 20
teaspoons of sugar (all from the cola)! If you factor in that
the fries were probably cooked in hydrogenated cottonseed oil,
one of the most heavily pesticide-laden crops in the world, and
that the meat, if overcooked, could contain carcinogens, or if
undercooked, could result in food poisoning from E. coli, you may
agree it's time to find a new all-American meal.

The Bad Guys:
High levels of saturated fat are consistently linked with
elevated blood cholesterol levels, heart disease, insulin
resistance and several forms of cancer. Most Americans eat about
40 grams of saturated fat every day, which is twice as much as is
considered healthy. Animal products are the greatest source of
saturated fats in the Western diet.

For many years, trans fatty acids were considered a relatively
minor player in health and disease. Although their impact on
total cholesterol is not quite as profound as it is with
saturated fats, the overall damage to heart health is worse.
Trans fatty acids not only raise total cholesterol, but also
lower LDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) and potentially
increase triglycerides. Gram for gram, the adverse effect of
trans fatty acids is estimated to be two to four times greater
than that of saturated fatty acids. The most common sources are
crackers, cookies, granola bars, chips and other snack foods,
baked goods, margarine, shortening and deep-fried fast foods.

Cholesterol is made by animals, not plants; all animal foods
contain cholesterol, while plant foods are all cholesterol-free.
The next time you buy any plant-based food like peanut butter
that says "no cholesterol" on the label, realize that is just a
sales gimmick. There are several concerns about eating too much
cholesterol because it can cause blood cholesterol levels to
rise, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack and
stroke. The recommended daily intake of cholesterol is less than
200 mg, which is a little less than the amount of cholesterol in
one egg yolk.

The Good Guys:
Science has known for a very long time that vegetables, fruits,
whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are healthful foods.
Researchers assumed that the substances that made these foods so
good for us were the vitamins, minerals and fiber. They were
right, but only partly. In the past 20 years, scientists have
discovered a whole new set of protective compounds packed within
every whole-plant food: phytochemicals and antioxidants.
Phytochemicals are natural substances that protect plants against
attacks from insects. When we eat plants, these same powerful
little protectors go to work on our behalf, with remarkable human
health benefits.

Many phytochemicals are strong antioxidants, neutralizing
destructive free radicals. Some phytochemicals provide
anticancer support, helping the body rid itself of potent
carcinogens. Others protect against cardiovascular disease by
helping to reduce the formation of cholesterol, lower blood
pressure, decrease blood cholesterol levels, reduce blood clot
formation, open blood vessels and decrease damage to blood vessel
walls. The list of significant beneficial activities of
phytochemicals includes anti-inflammatory, anti-yeast,
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and immune-enhancing
benefits. Which foods are the most efficient phytochemical
factories? Vegetables and fruits stand out as being particularly
important, although legumes (beans), grains, nuts and seeds are
also excellent sources. Choosing a wide variety of colorful,
whole-plant foods is the key to a phytochemical-rich diet.

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for improving your
health. Limit your intake of saturated fat, trans fatty acids
and cholesterol, and eat more whole foods, including seven to 10
servings of fruits and vegetables every day to maximize your
phytonutrient and antioxidant protection. Talk to your doctor
for more information.

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