Peppa Pig… The Nutrition Expert?
In my last post we broke down long term cardiovascular risk into seven health metrics: Blood pressure, Blood sugar, Cholesterol, Eating Pattern, Physical Activity, Smoking, and Healthy Weight. Today we will be focusing on one of those metrics - nutrition habits associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
First, let’s discuss the elements that define an ideal nutrition habits that can help reduce the risk of heart disease:
4.5 or more cups/day of fruits and vegetables;
1500 mg/d of sodium;
No more than 36 oz or 1064 ml/wk of sugar-sweetened beverages;
2 or more servings/week of fish and;
3 or more servings/day of whole grains.
Meeting 4 to 5 of these elements would qualify as ideal nutrition habits to reduce your risk of heart disease, 2 to 3 would be intermediate, and 0 to 1 would be poor. Today, I am going to talk about fruits and vegetables, sodium, and see how Canada is doing.
Whenever I think about fruits and vegetables I hear Peppa Pig singing “Fruits and vegetables keep us alive, always be sure to eat your five…” I have Peppa to thank for this great evidence-based health advice, and for my daughter now speaking with a British accent. So how does Canada stack up to Peppa’s recommendation? Apparently in Canada we do not watch enough Peppa pig, as we are not eating enough fruits & vegetables! Based on data from Statistics Canada, in 2004 around 44.6% of Canadians consumed at least 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and in 2017 that number decreased to 28.6%! Nearly 3 out of 4 Canadians don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables! This is a hugely important area for growth, since fruits and vegetables serve as an important source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber which can reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers.
Next up, let’s talk about sodium. I love salt and reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has made me love salt even more. But it is important to understand the role that salt can play in our risk of cardiovascular disease, especially when it is consumed in excess. About 3 out of 5 Canadians eat too much salt, averaging around 2760 mg per day. This is down from 3,400 mg/day in 2004, hooray! For reference, the recommended upper limit for daily sodium intake is 2,300 mg. Diets higher in sodium increase the risk of high blood pressure, and over time increase the risk of developing heart disease. In fact, 1 in 4 Canadians over the age of 20 have high blood pressure, and about 30% of these cases are due to high sodium intake. But fear not, I am not going to take away your salt, instead let’s talk about where salt can hide. Generally, the majority of sodium intake comes from commercially processed and prepared foods, while only 11% is added by consumers, and the remaining 12% occurs naturally in foods. The TOPS SIX SOURCES OF SODIUM includes baked goods, appetizers and entrees, processed meats, cheeses, soups, and sauces and condiments.
To help build awareness about how much sodium you are eating, consider tracking your daily intake with a food tracking app or reading food labels. Yes I said it, read food labels. These handy little labels can give you an idea of what is in the food you are buying.
Take away: If you want to improve your heart health, consider eating more fruits and vegetables, and be mindful of your sodium intake.
Or maybe Justin Bieber could release some new vegetable Timbiebs Timbits?
But making dietary changes can sometimes be easier said than done. I help patients set realistic goals to make dietary changes and understand where sodium is coming from in their diet. In my next post I will review some strategies to help make realistic shifts in our nutrition habits. So your homework for today, which of the five nutritional habits do you need more support to help reduce your risk of heart disease?
If you want to talk more about how food can play a role in your heart health, make a free 15 minute consultation.