As we get older, we start to think more about our mortality. Something we didn’t give much thought to from childhood till about our thirties if not longer for some. But when those health problems start coming up and doctor visits become more frequent, it’s hard not to think about it. 

According to the CDC, the number 1 cause of death in America is heart disease with cancer closely behind as the 2nd cause. In 2021, 40.3% of deaths in America were due to cardiovascular disease or CVD, based on numbers from the AHA. 

With figures like these, it’s hard for anyone not to think about the impending doom that may be lurking as we get older. Luckily, there is a way to improve your odds against these stats and it all starts with adopting a healthier lifestyle and diet. 

The Western diet and lifestyle

We all are aware that the typical portrayal of the American lifestyle is one of excess calories and limited activity. Just take a second to look into your pantry and fridge and see how well stocked all your food is. 

What about the last time you did anything active? Ideally, it should have been in the last few hours or just last night if you're just waking up. 

Not only is the American diet of excess a problem, but it is our increased intake of saturated fat from animal meats and dairy products such as cheese that is a leading cause of CVD.

Couple that with low daily activity and it’s no wonder why we’re all ticking time bombs for a heart attack or stroke. 

Red meat is one of the highest in saturated fat and along with its production of TMAO in the body (a byproduct of the protein breakdown from red meat that contributes to CVD) it’s no wonder we have been told to cut back on it for the last decade or more now. 

You may remember that at one point around 2015 the news channels touted big news on being able to eat fatty meat such as bacon again. The focus behind this was that the medical community finally accepted that consuming cholesterol from food does not cause CVD. 

Of course the news blew it up and made the public think we could consume our fatty meats freely again. The only catch being that saturated fat is still one of the greatest contributors to CVD and our fatty meats are loaded with it.

Certain foods such as eggs and avocado have high amounts of cholesterol but are virtually free of saturated fat. These types of foods are okay to eat without being concerned about your cholesterol intake. 

Although it seems misleading, consuming cholesterol from food does not increase cholesterol in the body. I’ll leave this topic for another blog to go into further details. However, saturated fat does contribute to increased LDL in the body which is a direct cause of atherosclerosis leading to CVD.

Adopting a longevity lifestyle and diet

When we talk about diets we tend to focus on weight loss. Although weight is one of the contributors to CVD, our focus should be on eating healthier to sustain our health into our oldest years. 

CVD develops silently in our body over decades and is often symptom free until we are experiencing serious issues from it or have a heart attack or stroke. This typically occurs in our 40’s and up however, it started in our body well before during our 20’s and even our later teenage years. 

That’s why it’s important to start changing your lifestyle now regardless of your age and not wait till you are having symptoms or are diagnosed with an issue. 

It all starts by looking at three of our biggest problems which are saturated fat intake, low plant (vegetable, beans/legumes, fruit) intake, and low daily activity. 

As I mentioned, saturated fat is primarily found in animal meats and dairy products. Both of which are heavily consumed in our daily lives.

Not only will adopting the changes below decrease your risk of CVD, but they will also decrease your risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and increase your odds of maintaining your health well into your oldest years.

Start by focusing on these changes:

• Limit fatty meat and cured meat consumption to no more than 1x/week or less

• Limit fried foods to 1x/week or less

• Reduce red meat to 1-2x/week

• Limit lean meats such as chicken and turkey to 3-4/week

• Limit fatty fish such as salmon and trout to 1-2x/week

• Limit white fish and seafood (shrimp, scallops) to 3-4x/week

• Reduce cheese and fatty dairy (whole milk products) to 1-2x/week

• Reduce use of butter and foods with palm oil

• Replace vegetable oil with olive and/or avocado oil

• Increase intake of beans and legumes

• Use fruits for snacks or in place of something sweet

• Focus on having vegetables are every meal

• This change will take some trial and error, a great place to start is looking at vegetarian recipe websites and finding new ways to prepare and cook vegetables. 

• Increase your activity each day by finding new and fun ways to keep your body moving and your muscles working.

• Don’t forget about the upper body muscles as well!

If you want help to get started changing your diet and lifestyle to prevent disease and live a healthy life contact me dietitian2go@gmail.com or schedule an appointment.

Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD