VNA Nurse Says—

Choose What Works Best From ‘Simple 7’ Heart Healthy Options

By John Voket

This is the third and final part of a series presented during American Heart Month.

In her capacity as a public health nurse with the Bethel Visiting Nurses Association, Krista Stringer, RN, BSN, admits that she sees a lot of fit young people. But when she switches gears to handling home health care dutie,s she is also often faced with individuals suffering the effects of the health and lifestyle decisions they have made.

Ms Stringer believes both of these populations can benefit from choosing to follow just one or two tips offered as part of the American Heart Association’s  “Life’s Simple 7” program.

Those who want to learn more can meet Ms Stringer and her colleague Judy Prager, RD, CD/N, a registered dietitian and certified dietitian/nutritionist between 9 and 11 am on Tuesday, February 28, at the Newtown Health District office in the municipal center.

The pair will wrap up American Heart Month by discussing the program, along with offering blood pressure, weight, waist measurement and body mass index information. Ms Stringer believes the Life’s Simple 7 program can empower individuals by showing them how easy it can be to achieve a healthier life, in part, because it is so easy to use.

Residents who cannot attend the February 28 activity can also learn more by visiting mylifecheck.org.

Ms Stringer told The Newtown Bee that she has been a nurse for 17 years, having worked at Danbury Hospital and the Regional Hospice before coming to the Bethel VNA four years ago. She also played a critical support role last October when Newtown was struck by a fall snowstorm.

Besides attending briefings with Health District Director Donna Culbert, Ms Stringer accompanied emergency crews to help assess medically fragile residents who were left without power and heat, and to handle welfare checks on residents who may have been suffering with compromised or failing health.

The “Simple 7” steps Ms Stringer and Ms Prager will introduce February 28 include:

Getting active. According to the AHA, nearly 70 percent of Americans do not get the physical activity they need. Daily physical activity, at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day like brisk walking five times per week, is proven to lower risks for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Walk The Talk

Walking is one of the best ways to get started. While the recommended 30 minutes may seem like an impossible goal for someone with a busy schedule, Ms Stringer says start with 10-minute blocks. Individuals can also increase physical activity by:

* Parking farther away from your destination.

* After dinner, bring your dog along for a walk around the neighborhood.

* Organizing school activities around physical activity.

* Riding a bike or walking to work.

Control cholesterol is another step to consider. Cholesterol is a waxy substance and bodies use it to make cell membranes and some hormones. But when you have too much bad cholesterol (LDL), it combines with white blood cells and forms plaque in your veins and arteries.

These blockages lead to heart disease and stroke. Since one’s liver and body’s cells make about 75 percent of the cholesterol in the blood, only another 25 percent should come from food. The American Heart Association recommends the following:

*Eat healthy foods that are low in cholesterol, trans fats, and saturated fats.  A diet high in fiber also helps keep cholesterol levels controlled.

*Schedule a cholesterol screening and stay current on your health check-ups.

*Get active. When you exercise, you increase your body’s ability to make good cholesterol.

Some people inherit a gene that causes them to make too much LDL. If a person is prescribed cholesterol medication, it is important they take it and follow the other healthy lifestyle recommendations, too.

Why Eat Better?

Eating a heart-healthy diet. Foods low in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugars, and foods high in whole grain fiber, lean protein, and a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can improve one’s chances of staying healthy.

*Eat vegetables and fruits that are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber — and low in calories. Eating a variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables may help control weight and blood pressure.

*Eat unrefined fiber-rich whole-grain foods to keep feeling fuller longer, and to help lower blood cholesterol.

*Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating two 3.5-ounce servings of oily fish per week containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, and herring) may help lower the risk of death from coronary artery disease.

*Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt, and limiting sugary drinks to no more than 36 ounces per week is a great way to reduce added sugars.

High blood pressure is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. When blood pressure stays within healthy ranges, it reduces the strain on the heart, arteries, and kidneys.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, means the blood running through the arteries flows with too much force, creating pressure, stretching them past their healthy limit, and causing microscopic tears. While the body’s injury-healing mode repairs these tears with scar tissue, that tissue traps plaque and white blood cells that can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries.

More than two-thirds of the American adult population is overweight, with one-third in the obese category. These statistics are especially concerning since obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for heart disease.

The BMI: Body mass index (BMI) assesses body weight relative to height. It is a useful, indirect measure of body composition because it correlates highly with body fat in most people. If the body mass index is 25.0 or higher, bringing your number down below 25 should be a goal. If one’s BMI is 30.0 or higher, they are at significant risk for heart health problems.

Reduce Blood Sugar

If fasting blood sugar level is below 100, that is a healthy number. If not, the results could indicate diabetes or prediabetes.

Bodies make a hormone called insulin that acts like a carrier to take your food energy into your cells. But when the body stops making insulin or the insulin stops doing its job, energy supply and blood sugars are no longer stable and serious health problems like diabetes can result.

Diabetes can cause blood sugar to rise to dangerous levels, and when this happens, the body may try to compensate by draining fluid out of your cells to dilute the excessive sugar, creating excessive thirst and hydration problems.

Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

It is critical for people with diabetes to have regular checkups. The good news is that by reducing blood sugar, an individual can slow the progression of long-term complications.

Often, many small changes add up to surprising improvements in diabetes control, including less need for medication.

Ms Stringer says in her experience, many of her patients who smoke have other risk factors for heart damaging conditions, and many tend to maintain a less healthy lifestyle. But she sees great results when these individuals combine stepping down their use of tobacco — sometimes with nicotine gum or a patch — while combining some moderate activities with an improved diet.

“Take whatever first steps you can to begin getting away from or substituting for cigarettes,” she said.

For more information about the Bethel Visiting Nurse Association, check out the agency’s brand new Facebook page, or visit bethelvna.org.