READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 VOL 2 ISSUE 6 - JAN-FEB 2015 | Page 53
Expert tips to protect your heart this winter
(BPT) - Heart disease and
stroke remain the two top
killers of Americans,
according to the American
Heart Association. Some
research shows that heartrelated deaths increase by 5
percent during the
holidays, no matter where
you live, and more cardiac
deaths occur on Christmas
and New Year's day than
on any other days of the
year, according to a study
by the University of
California, San Diego and
Tufts University School of
Medicine published in the
journal Circulation.
Cardiovascular-related
incidents increase in winter
for a number of reasons,
including drops in
temperature that constrict
blood vessels, irregular
workout routines, poor
stress management and
changing eating habits.
"We tend to eat
significantly more
inflammation-promoting
foods in the winter," says
Dr. Michael Roizen,
founder of RealAge.com.
"The combination of poor
diet and other stressors can
trigger plaque ruptures and
cause chunks of fatty
deposits lining arteries to
enter the bloodstream,
potentially leading to more
risk for heart attack and
stroke."
Here are suggestions for
keeping your heart healthy
this winter:
Maintain a healthy diet
Less than 1 percent of
adults meet the American
Heart Association's
definition for an "Ideal
Healthy Diet," which
means the majority of