Although some may be tired of politics this time of year, we can’t help but mention that Former President Bill Clinton was on Letterman last night, discussing among other things a non-political issue – heart health.  The video below shows him talking about his heart problems and dietary efforts to combat heart disease.

Amazingly, Former President Clinton has cut out all cholesterol from his diet.  Did you know this was possible?

Let’s learn more about the diet that sources say was based on the ideas of Dr. Esselstyn.  From the blog Happy Healthy Long Life:

Dr. Esselstyn was right–now I really get it! I’m not saying I like what he requires his patients to do, but I do get it. I now understand why he’s so strict about the details of his diet (oops, not diet–I mean, lifestyle changes)–no oil, not even Pam, no nuts, no avocados, no chocolate–just vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, & legumes! Who would be thrilled to give up fat, sugar & salt? Wasn’t it enough that I gave up meat, chicken, cheese, fish, & other dairy products two years ago? Apparently it wasn’t, in my case. And I thought I was a savvy food shopper, but even I had a lot to learn from the Esselstyns. Now my eyes are wide-open.

Remember our blog “4 of the BEST Foods For Your Heart”?  Yep – this diet is more stringent than that even, taking out nuts which have good omega 3 fatty acids.

The motivating idea of the diet that Clinton is likely on is that, in the words of the blog author, “Heart disease is a food-borne illness.”  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn believes that you can not only prevent, but even reverse, heart disease by changing diet and sticking to plants only.

Does it work?  Is it worth trying?  It seems that Esselstyn’s findings haven’t been tested on a large scale as of yet, although no one he has worked with has had a “cardiovascular event” since they started their new regimen.  And Former President Clinton says he has lost 24 pounds.  Not being heart healthy is a scary thing.  That’s why it’s important to cholesterol test regularly – if you don’t know your cholesterol levels, it’s hard to make the appropriate changes in your lifestyle.

Perhaps Clinton’s remarks will draw more attention to this diet.  Yes, we have definitely heard of cure-all diets before.  But there is something logical about moving away from processed and fatty food and living more simply.

What do you think?  Will this be a new fad?  Do you think it works?  Is it worth the trade-off?  Let us know!

Relaxing For Your Heart Health

While there is still some ambiguity about the manner in which stress increases the risk factors for heart disease, the empirical data does indicate that stress and heart disease are correlated in some manner. It is sometimes hypothesized that stress does not lead to heart disease directly but it exposes the body continuously to the onslaught of hormones like adrenalin and cortisol. It also increases the frequency of unhealthy actions like smoking, becoming lethargic, binge eating and more. They also eventually trigger the production of cholesterol, making you more likely to have high cholesterol (which can be easily measured with a cholesterol test). There is no doubt, therefore, that stress needs to be avoided or managed in order to ensure a healthy heart.

Typical Stress Symptoms

It is obviously mandatory to identify stress. Acute and chronic stress, both, are damaging for the body. While stress can be caused by various factors like financial trouble, emotional imbalance, unemployment, health issues and more, the stimuli that cause stress in one person can be different from those that cause stress in others. But the symptoms of stress are uncannily similar for all and can occur at a physical, emotional, cognitive or behavioral level.

These symptoms are:

Physical stress symptoms – General aches and pains, muscle tension, insomnia, fatigue, tinnitus, weight gain or loss, clenching jaws and grinding teeth and headaches.

Mental stress symptoms – Inability to make quick decisions, lack of creativity, forgetfulness and lack of focus.

Emotional stress symptoms – Apprehension, negative thinking, depression, mood swings, anxiety and feeling powerless and incapable of anything.

Behavioral stress symptoms – Binge eating, increase in alcohol consumption or smoking, explosive reactions, frequent job changes and withdrawal from society.

Managing Stress And Learning to Relax

While there will always be challenges in life there is a need to face up to the challenges with a positive bent of mind. It is also important to learn to refuse to get stressed by circumstances or incidents. This is something that you can do by learning how to relax. Some of the stress-relieving techniques that you can use have been described below.

Deep breathing – This is a stress relieving technique in which you learn how to breathe deeply by filling up your lungs as much as possible.

Progressive muscle relaxation – An easy technique to follow, progressive muscle relaxation requires you to concentrate your mind on specific muscles of the body to will them into relaxation.

Music therapy – A stress relieving therapy that has been long known, you can now buy CD’s that help you with relaxing stress relieving music.

Guided imagery – Imagining yourself in a serene environment where you are at peace with the world and in harmony is another way in which you can manage stress.

Biofeedback – A technique in which various instruments are used to measure physical reactions of stress like temperature, blood pressure and more, this stress reducing technique helps in understanding how you can use your mind to control and relax your body.

While these stress relieving techniques work well, it is also important to understand the root cause of your stress. Only by knowing this and facing the issue will you be able to avoid stress completely and free yourself from this heart disease risk factor. Eat healthy and exercise regularly to ensure that you stay happy, enthusiastic and positive about life.

– Article by Anne Hamilton

September is National Cholesterol Education Month!  Take the time to learn more about how to keep your heart healthy by checking in at our blog!