What Life-Style Change Really Means...

Being a part of the Conquer community stands on the foundation of utilizing lifestyle changes to drive optimal health performance. Some of you may be wondering…what does optimal health performance mean? Optimal health performance to us means reducing the chances of developing cardiovascular disease disguised as long-term conditions such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and hyperlipidemia that can lead to chronic disease such as valvular heart disease and ultimately heart failure.

Our main intervention to stop heart disease in its tracks? Lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes are the modification of behaviors and habits to promote, mitigate and alter the chances of disease progression. Lifestyle change is the MOST effective way to prevent cardiac disease that is not genetic in nature. In fact, it reduces the probability of heart disease development by 82%. Lifestyle change is simple. Exercise, eat healthy and reduce alcohol and tobacco/marijuana consumption.

Let’s break down lifestyle changes one step further. We start with exercise. Exercise means to increase your heart rate just enough to produce a sweat. This stimulates the body to utilize and reduce fat stores. These stores crowd space for your heart to function properly. How often? We recommend that you participate in moderate exercise for at least 30-40 minutes a day. This can be broken down into many forms: walking, running, stairs in your house, swimming, yoga, weightlifting, treadmill utilization, riding bikes, roller skating, skateboarding, cycling, Pilates, dancing, boxing, mixed martial arts the list goes on and on. The point? Cardiovascular activity protects you. Protects you from the disasters that strike with inactivity. Walking is free. Heart disease is not. Now let’s move to eating habits.

Lifestyle change about nutrition means making good decisions in and out of the kitchen. This doesn’t mean deprive yourself of what you enjoy but it does require having a Conscience in decision making. Let’s start in the kitchen; using cooking oil such as olive oil and or avocado oil are healthy swaps for canola or vegetable oil. Phenols found in olive oil can reduce blood pressure through systemic vasodilation. Next, increase your consumption of fiber!! Your heart LOVES when you eat fruit and vegetables. Whole fruits and vegetables, not the ones from a can or cup and drenched in corn syrup. I’m sure you know what is next, decrease sugar and high sodium consumption. One less cookie or swap a cookie with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Salt your food after it’s cooked. Finally, cut back on alcohol consumption and smoking. Alcohol is liquid poison and smoking is aerosolized poison. Both can increase your risk tremendously for hypertension which leads to conditions such as heart disease and stroke. Out of the kitchen? Go for grilled or baked proteins. Lean proteins (Chicken/Fish/Turkey/Lean Beef). Substitute fries for vegetables every other meal you eat out. Moderation is key when you start making cognizant food choices. Skip the drive-thru if you can. Those are the WORST for you. Choose foods that are not deep fried and covered with hydrogenated oils. These oils are what clog your arteries and damage that beautiful organ in your chest.

Your health starts with owning the responsibility you have over your life. The responsibility you have to control the choices you make while understanding the impact each choice has over time. Conquer life-style changes and your heart will follow.  

Conquer Challenge: Take a walk for 30 minutes. Before work, on your lunch break, after work, after dinner. Make the time for your heart. It works all day for you and deserves the same effort. Pick ONE nutrition tactic mentioned above; swap your oil, decrease your sugar intake, cut the alcohol/smoking one day. The purpose of this challenge is to help you build self-control.