By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N.
The American Heart Association recently released new guidelines for women and heart disease. According to the research, there is even stronger evidence that indicates more women are thought to be at risk for heart disease and stroke. Heart disease and stroke are still the leading killers of both men and women.
(If you would like a complete update on stroke and heart disease in women, you can access Kentuckiana Healthy Woman Magazine's Web site, www.kentuckianahealthywoman.com and download the complete issue, which details everything you wanted to know about stroke written by our local health professionals). Most of the advice found in both KHF and KHW columns can be used by men or women – even though there has been some discussion about men's and women's heart attack symptoms being different.
The specific guidelines:
The recommendation to eat mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grain and high fibers foods, fish at least twice a week (a serving equals 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of card – salmon, trout and herring), and a little salt (which translates to less than 2,300 milligrams per day). Unfortunately, I think these recommendations are pretty vague, so I added some specifics. If I wasn't a dietitian myself, I wouldn't know how much is enough, or how little it too little.
| 1,600 calories | 2,00 calories | |
| Fruit | 4 servings | 4-5 servings |
| A serving is: 6 oz fruit juice, 1 medium fruit, ¼ cup dried fruit, ½ cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit. | ||
| Vegetables | 3-4 servings | 4-5 servings |
| A serving is: 1 cup raw leafy vegetable, ½ cup cooked vegetable, 6 oz vegetable juice. | ||
| Whole Grains | 6 servings | 7-8 servings |
| A serving is a slice bread, 1 oz dry cereal, ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal. | ||
Limit saturated fat to less than 10 percent of calories, 7 percent if possible . Before you can determine what this means to you, you must know how many calories you need. For an interactive toolbox that will provide you with Basal Energy Expenditure information (BEE), Body Mass information, A Get Moving Calculator and a Nutrition Calculator and other types of calculators go to www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/etext/000035.html , then search for the calculator you want and you will be presented with many options.
Choose Basal Energy Expenditure Equation: Harris Benedict Equation. Once you get your BEE then use the Get Moving Calculator to determine exactly how many calories you need per day. Then multiply that number by .10 and divide that number by 9 to give you how many saturated fat grams you should aim for on a daily basis.
Example, 1800 calories per day X .10 = 180/9 = 20 grams of saturated fat per day. 1800 X .07 = 126/9 = 14 grams of saturated fat per day.
Limit Trans fat to less than 1 percent
Example, 1800 calories per day X .01 = 18/9 = 2 grams of trans fat per day.
Limit alcohol to one drink or less per day. This recommendation is very confusing because the media reports that red wine is good for your heart but drinking the whole bottle is not what the research is calling for.
| A Serving of Alcohol Is: | Calories: |
| 12 fluid ounces of regular beer | 144 |
| 12 fluid ounces of light beer | 108 |
| 5 ounces of wine | |
| red | 105 |
| white | 100 |
| sweet dessert wine | 235 |
| 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (gin, rum, vodka, whiskey) |
96 |
When you exercise, your heart beats faster because it's pumping more blood and oxygen to your muscles. The higher the exercise intensity, the faster your heart will be. For the first time exerciser, just getting off the couch is a good start but evidently in order to receive health benefits from all your efforts, you need to raise the heart rate, which in turns strengthens your heart muscle and makes it stronger. To estimate your maximum heart rate simply subtract your age from the number 220. Next, you want to find out what your target heart rate zone is. The number of beat per minute (bpm) will tell you if you are getting any benefit out of your exercise. In most cases, the range is 50 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Example, 220-56 (my age) = 164.164 is my maximum heart rate. My range would be .50 X 164 = 82 bpm (lower level); .80 X 164 = 131 bpm.
Calculate Your Heart Rate by Age*
| Age | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 |
| 50% | 100 BPM | 95 BPM | 90 BPM | 85 BPM | 80 BPM | 75 BPM |
| 80% | 160 BPM | 152 BPM | 14 BPM | 136 BPM | 128 BPM | 120 BPM |
The two easiest sites to use to measure your pulse rate are the radial pulse at the base of the thumb of either hand or the carotid pulse at the side of the neck. By using the first two fingers of one hand and locating the artery, your pulse rate is easily determined. (However, I use a heart rate monitor when I exercise because it's hard for me to monitor my own pulse rate while I am working out). After you feel your pulse, count the number of beats in a 10-second period and multiply that number by 6 to determine how many beats per minute you heart is beating.
*With Permission: Fit Facts from the American Council on Exercise.
