CHD Heart Disease

What is Heart Disease?

Coronary Heart Disease is a condition whereby the coronary arteries within the heart narrow due to a build up of fatty material (i.e. plaque) also known as atherosclerosis. This build up causes a reduction in blood flow which also limits the amount of nutrients and oxygen being delivered to the heart. Lack of these components inhibits the efficiency of the heart to perform properly and at its best ability which can often cause pain or tightness in the chest also known as angina. Often the plaque can rupture forming a blood clot which can block the artery, totally or partially blocking the blood supply to the heart causing a heart attack. Over time this condition weakens the heart muscle as it places additional stress on its function which can also lead to heart failure as it cannot pump enough blood throughout the body to support daily living.

What causes Heart Disease?

Coronary Heart Disease is known as a lifestyle disease meaning there are modifiable risk factors and the development of it can be prevented. Once you have it, modifying your lifestyle can also stop the disease getting worse! Research has depicted that the disease begins when damage occurs to the inner layer of the arteries. This damage is associated with:

Smoking
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Sedentary lifestyle (inactive)
Unhealthy diet
Obesity

Other factors which may increase the risk to this condition include age (i.e. the older the more at risk), family history and gender (i.e. males are more at risk).

How can Bites Dietitians help?

Diet is an important modifiable aspect in helping to prevent and/or reduce the risk of CHD. Consuming a diet high in saturated and trans fats can increase your risk of developing CHD or make it worse! At Bites our dietitians conduct a thorough nutritional assessment which takes into account your current nutritional status, nutritional needs, lifestyle and dietary habits. From this we will work together to improve areas of your current lifestyle and diet. Our dietitians will calculate your nutritional requirements and create a meal plan for you that is tailored to improve your heart health and aims to achieve your concurrent goals and needs.

If you’ve received a diagnosis of coronary heart disease, you may be thinking, but I eat really healthy!!!?? You probably do! In fact, most of our clients that seek us out to help them with nutrition for coronary heart disease tell us that they never eat takeaway, most of their meals are home cooked and they tend not to use pre-packaged sauces and condiments! Most people don’t know that even “healthy” home cooked meals can be high in saturated fats and low in good fats and the other nutrients of interest that promote a healthy heart.

There are lots of things that we can include in your diet to really boost your heart health that you may have forgotten about, or little things that creep in regularly that make a big impact in the long run. We will dissect everything for you and create a meal plan that fits into your lifestyle, includes your favourite foods, educates you on the latest evidence surrounding nutrition and heart health and can also teach you how to read and understand nutrition information panels and ingredient lists specific to your needs. As CHD risk is increased due to different conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes our dietitians will multitask for you to ensure your dietary prescription takes into account any other conditions you have too!

Managing and/or preventing CHD is a long-term lifestyle change, we don’t expect you to follow a specific meal plan forever. That is why we are here for you for as long as you need (we’ve been looking after some of our very first clients for well over 10 years now!) or when you feel confident enough we can give you tips that can become lifelong strategies so that you can self-manage your own health long term. In the beginning it’s a good idea to see us weekly or fortnightly until you’ve made a significant impact on your health status and built new habits and then we usually recommend spacing out appointments to monthly, quarterly, or even annually for check in’s to keep you on track for life! Above all, we want to make sure that you can enjoy the foods you love in moderation and live life to the fullest whilst still living your healthiest life!

An interesting fact about diet and CHD?

Evidence has shown that the intake of trans fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD. By consuming only a 2% increase of energy from trans-fat increases your risk of CHD by 25% and increases risk of death from CHD by 31%. This risk is associated with industrial trans fats rather than ruminant trans fats. Artificial trans fats are produced by industrial hydrogenation of vegetable oils which produces a semi-solid or solid fat that is then used in the manufacturing of foods such as fat spreads and biscuits. Natural trans fats in small amounts are found in dairy products and meats such as beef and lamb (ruminant animals).

How can Bites Exercise Physiologists help?

It is really important to consult with accredited exercise professionals when beginning any type of exercise training and this is especially important if you have any sort of cardiac history. Our Exercise Physiologists are trained to assess and monitor you appropriately during exercise to ensure what you are doing is safe and tolerated well by your heart. We will measure things like your heart rate, blood pressure and exertion levels and take into account your cardiac history to ensure that what we prescribe and deliver is effective and safe for you! We work with your GP and cardiologist to create a tailored plan that is appropriate to your capacities and within your limits. Upon appointment we will begin with some pre-screening assessments to understand your history and formulate some achievable goals. You will also undertake some exercise assessments which will help us understand where you’re at and can act as a marker to showcase your progress. This will all help in formulating a suitable exercise program (that you can do at home or in the gym) which is enjoyable and do-able but also safe according to your specific circumstances. We also provide constant check-ins to help motivate you and assist you in achieving your goals and adjusting where needed. For coronary heart disease we would generally aim for 20-30 mins of low to moderate exercise on most days of the week in order to start seeing improvements. Aerobic activity in combination with a resistance training program in the form of circuit training has been demonstrated as the best combination for the best results. We want to ensure your safety and that you are appropriately loading and progressing gradually in order to see the best results. If you are new to exercise or need that extra accountability, feel free to book a session with us where we can take you through the exercises and ensure you understand how to correctly perform them in the safest and most effective way for you!

WE CAN HELP YOU

Some interesting facts about CHD & Exercise

Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a 21% decrease for men in risk of coronary heart disease and 29% decrease in women

There is a 50% reduction in disease risk for those who are physically active (30 min or more of moderate intensity activity on at least 5 days per week) compared to those who are inactive.

Improvements to expect from a tailored diet and exercise program

Reduction in LDL cholesterol & increase in HDL cholesterol
Increase in insulin sensitivity
Weight reduction
Prevention of narrowing and clotting of the arteries further
Reduction in chest pain
Stronger heart which will work more efficiently meaning less fatigue and less stress on heart
Enhanced mental wellbeing
Reduced heart rate at rest
Reduced risk of repeated cardiac events (future heart attacks)
Reduction in medications being taken

Helpful things to bring/remember before your first appointment

pful things to bring/remember to your first appointment
Referral from GP or specialist
List of medications currently taking
Any heart/exercise testing results from your cardiologist eg. an exercise stress test
And most importantly a positive attitude for a healthier, happier life

Want To Know More About Other Conditions We Treat?

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Contact Details

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305/29–31 Lexington Drive, Bella Vista NSW 2153

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0452 458 146

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