Heart Health Nutrition | Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke
Smart Nutrition = A Healthy Heart
At Nutrition Clinic of Northern California, we are passionate about your health and nutrition. We strive in helping you build a healthy life to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and stroke by providing the most comprehensive and science-based nutrition program available to you.
Heart Disease Is A Killer
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. It’s the No 1 killer among women. More women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. One in three adults has some form of heart/cardiovascular disease. Many of these deaths and risk factors are preventable and food choices have a big impact on your heart’s health, even if you have other risk factors.
Risk factors such as age, gender, and family history cannot be controlled. In most cases with lifestyle changes and healthy food choices, you can prevent and control risk factors of heart disease such as:
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Excess weight and obesity
The Human Heart
Your heart serves one function – to pump oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to every living cell in your body and to remove the carbon dioxide and waste products made by those cells. In order to achieve this goal, it must continuously beat for your entire lifespan.
The human heart:
- Is an amazing muscle that serves as a pump
- Is the key organ in your body’s circulatory system
- Beats approximately 80,000 to 100,000 times a day
- Pumps almost 2,000 gallons of blood through approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels that branch and cross, linking the cells of our organs and body parts – which is far enough to circle the earth more than twice!
This means that if you live 70 to 90 years, your heart will beat approximately “two to three billion times” and pump “50 to 65 million” gallons of blood during your life. Because of this vital role, a non-beating heart always results in death.
Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke
Certain types of heart disease such as heart defects can not be prevented. However, you can lower your risk for heart disease and may prevent current heart disease from worsening by:
- Controlling health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
- Eating a healthy diet
- Engaging in regular physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Reducing and managing stress
- Not smoking
To Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease, Your Diet Should Be
- High in fiber, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables
- High in omega-3 fatty acids
- Low in salt and sugar
- No saturated and trans fats
We are here to help you prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases. If you have specific questions about our Heart Health services or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact Nutrition Clinic of Northern California today.