Imagine, you are 32 years old. You have a baby who is only 8 days old. One day, while breastfeeding your baby, you suddenly feel dizzy and your left arm goes numb, and when you try to get up, you fall to the ground. This is exactly what happened to a young mother named Jenny. She was rushed to the hospital's Emergency Unit (ETU) only to find out that she had a heart attack. One of her blood vessels was almost completely blocked due to high cholesterol. Today, let's talk about how Jenny changed her life for the health of her heart after this terrible experience.
The biggest warning I received in life
Jenny was shocked to learn that her total cholesterol level was over 300 when she had her heart attack. She had a hereditary condition called high cholesterol. The doctors prescribed her medication and advised her to make a complete change in her diet to make a full recovery.
Until then, Jenny had never thought about food or exercise. She was very thin and could eat anything she wanted, especially red meat, without any control. But after this incident, she was so scared that she suddenly went to the other extreme. She became a complete vegetarian. She also stopped eating processed foods, refined carbohydrates, dairy, and anything with saturated fat.
For the next two and a half years, she over-thought every bite she ate. She measured everything. As a result, her cholesterol level dropped below 160, back to normal. But she was very sad . She realized that worrying so much about every bite she ate wasn't good for her mental health. So she decided to relax her strict rules and find a balanced way.
How to escape from two extremes and find a balanced path
Instead of eliminating entire food groups like meat, grains, and dairy, she decided to cut down on saturated fat and increase her intake of fruits and vegetables. This was the smartest solution she found.
The most important thing is not to ban things, but to reduce things that are harmful to health and add more things that are beneficial.
These are some of the simple, yet very important changes she made.
| Previous habit | Healthy changes to make now |
|---|---|
| Red meat (beef) burger | A burger made from lean meat like turkey. |
| Regular rice | Cauliflower rice is low in calories and packed with heart-healthy nutrients. |
| Plain yogurt | Dairy-free yogurt. The probiotics in these can help lower blood pressure and support heart health. |
| Chocolate chip cookies made from flour | Cookies made with chickpeas instead of flour. Some research suggests that chickpeas may help lower cholesterol. |
| Meats | Tofu. A heart-healthy protein-rich food. Tofu can be made delicious and crispy by adding a little seasoning, coating it with cornmeal, and baking it in the oven. |
About having a little 'cheat meal' every now and then
"I'm a real foodie. So I have to enjoy a delicious meal every now and then," says Jenny. She has her weak moments. Sometimes she craves something like pizza or a cinnamon roll. But the important thing is to not make it a habit to eat those things every day , but only enjoy them on special occasions, like once a week. You have to have those little things to enjoy life, right?
Taking care of snacks at home
Jenny says she has a habit of eating whatever is in front of her when she's hungry. So she now tries to stock her fridge and cupboards with healthy items like yogurt, low-fat granola, and fresh fruit. But with two young children, junk food is a necessity. She solves that problem by buying single-serving packs of cookies and chips instead of large packs. That way, she can stop eating out of control.
This is how I made exercise a part of my life.
If you also have high cholesterol, exercise is essential. Because when we exercise, our body's good (HDL) cholesterol levels increase and our bad (triglycerides) levels decrease.
Jenny didn't exercise at all before her heart attack. After a cardiac rehab program at the hospital, she gained the confidence to exercise on her own. She bought an elliptical trainer for her home. "I just got used to riding it a little faster, a little harder, a little longer every day. I started with 5 minutes, then 10, 15, and finally I felt so proud of myself when I was able to exercise for an hour straight," she says.
Now she focuses more on activities she does with her children. She also goes to the gym two or three days a week and takes an interval training class. In addition, she walks for 20-30 minutes several days a week. When she does things with her children, like riding bikes or playing ball, it doesn't feel like exercise, it feels like fun.
Stress management is also very important.
Jenny says she has a type A personality, which makes her a bit anxious and tries to do everything perfectly. But her doctors have clearly told her that stress increases her risk of heart disease . She has been taking medication for a while, but it hasn't helped much.
So what does she do? She takes some time for herself.
- Sometimes we sit on the sofa and watch a TV series we like.
- Another time, take a hot bath.
- Sometimes I just do nothing, take a deep breath and relax.
These simple things can go a long way in boosting mental health. Maintaining a heart-healthy lifestyle can be challenging, but Jenny tells us, "It's not about the big things, it's about the small changes we can make. It's about doing the best we can."
Take-Home Message
- It's more effective to make small, consistent changes to your lifestyle rather than making big, drastic changes all at once.
- Balance is very important in a diet. Don't restrict everything, enjoy your favorite food every now and then.
- Choose an exercise you enjoy and make it part of your daily routine. Activities done together with your family can make exercise fun.
- Just like diet and exercise, managing stress is also very important for heart health.
- Always talk to your doctor before making any decisions about your diet, exercise plan, and health condition.
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