It's Time to Improve your Heart's Health

“It is health that is real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver”

-Mahatma Ghandi

?Does this stop to make you think? As a fitness trainer, personally I do not focus only on the outward appearance of the client but the inner workings as well. I need to ensure that his/her liver is working well, the digestive tract is healthy, getting enough sleep, a routine which helps balance a stressful lifestyle. The heart is vital to this plan because of being connecting to pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body, maintaining stamina and well you cannot ignore the ol'ticker which makes you tick.

I am proud to announce that Dr. Bassem Alsharkawy, BScPh, has joined the Christian Williams Physique Transformation team. He will be providing medical insights, advice as well as recommendations to those interested in educating themselves. so make sure to read more such blogs on my website.

Let's dive in then.?

The Rule of 10

10 steps to have a better cardiac condition and consequently better health.

1. Give up smoking

If you're a smoker, quit. It's the single best thing you can do for your heart health. Smoking?is one of the main causes of?coronary heart disease. A year after giving up, your risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.

2. Get active

Getting?– and staying?–?active can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. It can also be a great mood booster and stress buster. It is recommended to do 150 minutes of?moderate-intensity aerobic activity?every week. Fit it in where you can.

One way to achieve this target is by doing 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week.

3. Manage your weight

Being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Stick to a?healthy, balanced diet?low in?fat?and?sugar, with plenty of fruit and vegetables, combined with regular physical activity.

4. Eat more fibre

Eat plenty of fibre to help lower your risk of heart disease?–?aim for at least 30g a day.?How? From a variety of sources, such as whole meal bread, bran, oats?and wholegrain cereals, potatoes with their skins on, and plenty of fruit and veggies.

5. Cut down on saturated fat

Eating too many foods that are high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood - increasing your risk of heart disease. Choose leaner cuts of meat and?low-fat dairy products like 1% fat milk over full-fat (or whole) milk.?

6. Get your?5 A Day

Eat?at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day. They're a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals.?Get creative. There are lots of tasty ways to get your 5 A Day, like adding chopped fruit to?cereal or including vegetables in your pasta sauces and curries.

7. Cut?down on?salt

To maintain healthy blood pressure,?avoid using?salt?at?the table and try adding less to your cooking. Once you get used to the taste of food without added salt, you can cut it out gradually and even completely.?

Watch out?for high salt levels in?ready-made foods. Most of the salt we eat is already in the foods we buy.

Check the food labels?– a food is high in salt if it has more than 1.5g salt (or 0.6g sodium) per 100g. Adults should eat less than 6g of salt a day in total?– that's about 1 teaspoon.

8. Eat?fish

Eat fish at least?twice a week, including a portion of oily fish.?Fish?such?as pilchards, sardines and salmon are a source of Omega-3 fats. However, pregnant or breastfeeding women should not have more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.

9. Drink less alcohol

Do not forget that?alcohol?contains calories. Try to keep to the?recommended daily alcohol limits?to reduce the risk of serious problems with your health, including risks to your heart health.

10. Read the food label

When shopping, it's a good idea to look at the?label?on food and drink packaging.

Keeping an eye on what you eat is key. You can workout all you want, but monitoring your nutrition and being conscious of what you ingest is 80% of all the work - whether you’re doing it for a lifestyle improvement, as a professional athlete or for general health!

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So to sum it up, What this Doc Says:

• Fish: High in?Omega-3, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and trout.
• Nuts: A handful of?healthy?nuts?such as almonds or walnuts will satisfy your hunger and help your heart.
• Berries: Chock full of heart-healthy?phytonutrients?and soluble fiber. Try blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or raspberries in cereal or yogurt.
• Seeds: Flaxseeds?contain Omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and?phytoestrogens?to boost heart health. Take them in ground or milled form to reap the greatest benefit.?Chia seeds?also provide Omega-3, fibre and protein; and can be eaten whole.?
• Oats: The comfort-food nutrient powerhouse.?Try toasting oats to top yogurt, salads or to add into a trail mix if you are not a fan of them cooked.
• Legumes, dried beans and lentils?―?such as garbanzo, pinto, kidney or black beans, are high in fibre, B-vitamins, minerals and other good stuff. Veggie chili, anyone?
• A 4-ounce glass of?red wine?(up to two for men and one for women per day) can help improve?good (HDL) cholesterol levels.
• Soy: Add edamame beans or marinated?tofu?in a stir-fry with fresh veggies for a heart-healthy lunch or dinner.
• Red, yellow and orange?veggies?such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, tomatoes and acorn squash are packed with carotenoids, fiber and vitamins to help your heart.
• Green veggies: Popeye was right?―?spinach?packs a punch! So does kale, Swiss chard, collard/mustard greens and bok choy. Use these sandwiches and salads instead of lettuce. Broccoli and asparagus are filled with mighty nutrients such as Vitamin C and E, potassium, folate, calcium and fibre.
• Fruits?such as oranges, cantaloupes and papaya are rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber.
• Dark chocolate?is good for your heart health. The higher the percentage of cocoa the better! (The fiber and protein increase with higher cocoa and the sugar decreases). If you are a fan of milk chocolate, start with at least 70%?cocoa.

?If you have a family history of heart conditions, you have to be proactive rather than reactive.

Be mindful that you need to regularly check your blood pressure and do lab work. Measuring for high blood pressure is vital because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms.

To sum it up, we need to be mindful of our nutrition, check our blood pressure regularly, and get active to lead a healthy life with a healthy heart!

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Thank you Dr. Bassem Alsharkawy for your helpful insights. Make sure to read more on my website.

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Christian Williams is a global body transformation coach hailing from Wales and settled in Dubai. In 2017, he founded?Christian Williams Physique Transformation?which offers in-personal and?online coaching programs. However, how his programs differ is that each nutrition and training plan is individualized to a clients' requirements instead of providing a blanket program. He compliments his programs with weekly check-ins to ensure clients are progressing in the right direction. Christian has accumulated over 16 years of experience, knowledge, and education in the fitness industry and uses it to help as many people as he can. Christian was awarded Silver PT of the Year by the prestigious Middle East Fit Awards in November 2020.

With a practical background of competing in a variety of bodybuilding competitions since 2008, he has also won titles of Mr. Wales, Mr. England, Mr. London - to name a few. Through his articles, he aims to mentor personal trainers and pass on his learnings, accumulated over the years, in order for them to become the best versions of themselves so they help their clients achieve their goals.