3 F’s: Fibre, Fat and Fitness – Cardiovascular Disease

We are beginning to hear more and more about the number of Canadians affected by diseases such as Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, and Hypertension to name a few.  As research continues to be released, daily physical activity is included on the list of things to do in order to manage, prevent or better any of these diagnoses.  Knowing a little bit more about these illnesses, will help us all better understand why we need to keep on top of our nutrition.

Cardiovascular Disease “refers to more than one disease of the circulatory system including the heart and blood vessels, whether the blood vessels are affecting the lungs, the brain, kidneys or other parts of the body.”  There are 6 different types of Cardiovascular Disease, which you can find more information on at the website below, however, all types share the same lifestyle behaviour modifications that have been proven to benefit the individual: Fat, Fibre and Fitness!

We are now familiar with what bad fat does to our insides.  When you eat too much saturated and trans fats, the fatty acids move into our blood stream and build up against our artery walls, known as plaque build-up, in turn, narrowing the area for blood to flow through (atherosclerosis).  The Cardiovascular Disease Practice Guidelines have indicated to replace saturated and trans fat (20%-35% of our daily Energy from calories) with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3 fatty acids (EPA ad DHA), such as 2 servings of fatty fish per week to increase our good cholesterol (HDL), and prevent bad fat sources to affect our bad cholesterol (LDL).  Research has shown that by making the switch from bad to good fats, and more specifically, consuming less than 7% of energy from saturated fat sources, LDL-cholesterol levels may decrease.

The benefits of fibre also move beyond keeping us fuller for longer and helping to keep our bowels regular.  Fibre, a non-digestible carbohydrate, helps to remove unwanted wastes from our body as well.  As it floats through our blood stream, fibre clings on to free floating fatty acids, or cholesterol, and helps to excrete them. The Guidelines indicate that consuming 10-25 grams of total fibre, and more specifically half of this amount from soluble fibre sources (psyllium, barley and oats), may help decrease our total bad cholesterol.  Make sure to spread your fibre evenly throughout your day, and always consume plenty of water to help move it through your system.

Finally, we know that nutrition plays such a large role in our overall health.  When paired with the final “F”, Fitness, specifically, 30-60 minutes of daily activity, research has shown for it to positively affect our blood fats as well as the other cardiovascular disease risk factors, diabetes and hypertension, which we’ll touch on next time.  Daily activity (paired with good nutrition), helps with weight loss, keep our Body Mass Index (BMI) in a healthy range, manage our waist circumference (≤ 88 cm/32 inches for women; ≤ 102 cm/37 inches for men), and maintain a healthy waist-to-hip ratio.

For more specifics and ways to minimize your risk of any type of Cardiovascular Disease, take a look at the Guidelines at the link provided.

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/cd-mc/cvd-mcv/index-eng.php

http://www.ccs.ca/download/position_statements/lipids.pdf