Heart Health and Nutrition

Parkview Physicians Group - Cardiology is committed to educating and motivating our patients and community to pursue an active lifestyle. Just 30 minutes of activity every day can make a real difference in your health. These resources will assist you in finding great area locations for walking or active movement.

• Indoor Exercise Guide
• Outdoor Exercise Guide
• Winter Exercise Guide 

Nutrition affects many factors associated with cardiovascular disease, including (but not limited to) body weight, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Improving your diet is an important component in the prevention or progression of heart disease.

This means eating mostly vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and whole grains. Limit red meat to a few times each month. Limit saturated fat, trans fats, sodium and sugar.

General nutrition recommendations for heart healthy eating

• Achieve and maintain your ideal body weight by limiting foods high in calories and low in nutrient density (sugars, soft drinks, candy).
• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
• Choose a variety of colors of these foods to reap different antioxidant and nutrient benefits.
• Choose a variety of legumes, nuts, soy products, low fat or fat free dairy products, and whole grain breads, cereals, pastas and rice.
• Choose oils, margarines and food products high in monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, low in saturated fats and trans fat free, such as canola oil, soybean and soybean oil, flaxseed, and walnuts.
• Eat baked, broiled or grilled fish as least twice per week, especially fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines or albacore tuna).
• Limit or avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats, such as red meat, high fat dairy products, and bakery items.
• If you consume alcohol, limit to 2 drinks per day for a man or 1 drink per day for a woman.
• Limit your sodium consumption. Consume less than 2,300 mg sodium per day.
• Be physically active by enjoying at least 30 minutes of activity on most (or all) days of the week.

Limit alcohol intake

Heavy drinking can damage the heart muscle and worsen other risk factors for those with congenital heart defects.

Getting help from Parkview Behavioral Health is easy. For a free initial screening, call the HelpLine at 260- 373-7500 or 800-282-8439 anytime. Someone is available 24 hours a day.

Cooking classes

The Parkview Center for Healthy Living and Community Greenhouse and Learning Kitchen also offer a variety of healthy cooking classes.

We have an in-house Nutrition Department at our main office, where our registered dietitian consults one-on-one with patients and their families on the benefits — and often the necessity — of adopting low fat, low cholesterol and low sodium diets as well as other healthy regimens. To schedule a one-hour consultation with a dietitian or ask a nutrition question, call 260-266-5730.

You will cut your risk of a heart attack by fifty percent after one year as a non-smoker.

Call the Parkview Center for Healthy Living at 260-266-6500 to learn more about the many times and locations where Freedom from Smoking classes are offered.

Untreated sleep apnea can increase your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and even a heart attack or stroke.

If you suspect that you or a loved one may have a sleep disorder, call Parkview Physicians Group – Sleep Medicine at 260-266-5260.

Stress can cause your arteries to narrow. Narrow arteries lead to higher blood pressure and increased risk for a heart attack. Research shows that the most commonly reported “trigger” for a heart attack is an emotionally upsetting event, especially one involving anger.

The Parkview Center for Healthy Living offers stress management classes. Visit Parkview Center for Healthy Living to view current class schedules.

Know your cholesterol, blood sugar levels, blood pressure readings, as well as your family history of cardiovascular disease. Being aware of these key numbers and facts will assist you and your physician in tailoring a personal plan of prevention.

Check Up Days at the Center for Healthy Living are an excellent way to know your numbers.

See upcoming Check Up Days

• www.heart.org
  American Heart Association (AHA) site is packed with heart information.
• www.heart.org/mylifecheck
  AHA website is designed for assessing your personal heart score.            
• www.cardiosmart.org
  American College of Cardiology site gives patient education offerings.
• www.eatright.org
  Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics offers helps for all dietary needs.
• www.cookinglight.com
  Cooking Light offers healthy recipes with lower fat and sodium content.
• www.womenheart.org
  WomenHeart features valuable online tools and resources that can help women to live a heart healthy life. 

No one ever knows when there may be a need to administer CPR to save a life…of a loved one, a child or anyone in need.  Learn CPR to be prepared in case of need.  CPR training is available in a variety of formats.  Explore the options below to learn what may serve you best!

• American Heart Association:  Go to www.heart.org and search “Learn CPR”.  Options vary from Hands-Only CPR  (Watch a Video….Save a Life),  to Friends and Family CPR Anytime ( a kit with video and manikin that can be done in your home),  to finding a class nearby.  Call 877-AHA-4CPR  to learn more.
• American Red Cross:  Go to www.redcross.org and click on CPR: “Find a Course”
• CPR Task Force of Fort Wayne and Allen County offers free “Hands only CPR” several times each year.  To learn more, visit www.3rcpr.org or call 260-427-1164.
• Interested in CPR classes for your employees? Contact Parkview Occupational Health at (260) 373-9017, ParkviewOccupationalHealth@parkview.com or click here for additional information.