Matters of the Heart

Is it true that Tour de France cyclists have extra large hearts? Apparently so. But not because they care more than the rest of us.

All the intense cardio training athletes (especially Tour cyclists) endure actually makes their heart walls thicker. But, according to studies, their enlarged hearts also make them more susceptible to blood clots and heart attacks from performance-enhancing drugs.

This discovery is an amazing example of the power we have to both strengthen and weaken our hearts. Heart disease is the leading killer of men and women in our country, but it’s also largely preventable. Diet and exercise are the key. Eating right and working out are musts for a healthy heart.

Here are five easy ways to help out your heart:

1. Eat between 25-35 grams of soluble fiber a day. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are great sources of soluble fiber and are essential to a nutritious diet. Use the fruit and veggie calculator to see how many servings of each you should eat every day (aim for 5). Start your day with a fiber-rich whole grain cereal and a piece of fruit.

2. Exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes most (or all) days of the week. Do something you enjoy so that you’ll keep it up. You don’t even have to do the 30 minutes all at one time. And, yes, walking swiftly counts.

3. Cut trans fats out of your diet completely and limit saturated fats and sodium. Opt for foods with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats to lower your cholesterol and raise your HDL, or “good”, cholesterol. Use olive oil in place of butter, guacamole instead of sour cream. Eat more beans and nuts (walnuts and almonds especially).

4. Cut your sodium intake. Canned soups and processed foods can have extremely high levels of sodium. Substitute spices like garlic, cayenne pepper, and turmeric for salt when cooking for a tasty, and extremely healthy, alternative. Use fresh garlic whenever you can. If sauteeing fresh garlic, wait 10 minutes after you cut or crush it before heating to preserve more nutrients.

5. Eat plenty of omega-3 fatty acids. Fatty fish like salmon and tuna are great sources. Just be sure to choose wisely when you’re shopping for seafood. High levels of mercury and overfishing are serious problems, both for us and the environment. Carry the seafood safety card in your wallet for reference. Walnuts, soy, and flaxseeds are also great sources.