How to Improve Your Heart Health

If you are finding yourself feeling a little more anxious than normal lately, know that you are NOT alone. It is completely okay to feel that way. It is human nature to feel a little off when things around us change - and they are changing quickly! Rest assured humans can adapt to change very well. Comfortably getting through these times will help keep your body and mind in shape. How does stress work? When we undergo stress, our bodies' sympathetic nervous system is activated. The sympathetic nervous system activates our ‘fight or flight’ mode, which can take a toll on our bodies when it is activated for long periods of time. When we are in the stressed-out sympathetic mode for too long, it can make us feel not so great. Opposite to the sympathetic nervous system is our parasympathetic nervous system. This system is also known as our ‘rest and digest’ system. Bringing ourselves out of a sympathetic state and into a parasympathetic state allows us to relax and calm down our bodies and our minds. If you are feeling more uneasy than usual lately, here are some neat ways to help bring your body into a more relaxed state. Breathing techniques There are some really cool breathing techniques you can use if you are ever feeling overwhelmed. My favourite deep breathing technique is called box breathing. This technique will activate your parasympathetic nervous system and leave you feeling a little more ‘zen’. Carrying this exercise out for even 1-2 minutes a day has been found to be beneficial and calming to the nervous system. Box Breathing Find a nice quiet space where you can sit or lay down comfortably for a few minutes. Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose for a count of four. Focus on breathing deep into your belly. Hold the breath for a count of four. Exhale through your mouth for a count of four. Hold for a count of 4 before starting again. Meditation There is never a better time to start meditating. Meditation is something you get better at with practice, so if you are new to it, start slow and build up. Even 5 minutes a day can reduce overall stress and anxiety. If you need help getting started, check out some of the many apps that can help guide you through meditating: CALM Insight Timer Head Space You can also head over to YouTube and find lots of guided meditations. Mindfulness Mindfulness is the act of being completely present in the moment. Social media and especially the news can really take us to a place of negativity if we let ourselves get absorbed in it, which can be easy to do. Try turning off media and tuning into what really matters. This can help us avoid distractions and tune into things that are more uplifting. To make your days indoors feel more positive and relaxing, try doing some of these tips: Continue to connect with loved ones. Pick up the phone or Skype family and friends. Play some of your favourite tunes and dance in your kitchen. Take a warm, relaxing bath. Curl up with a good book and sip on a calming magnesium drink. Although we may feel disconnected in many ways right now, it is important to take this time to touch base and reconnect with yourself. Staying grounded and in the present can help us get through difficult times. Keeping in tune with what is really important is key, and part of that is staying healthy, both mind and body. Take care out there. With love, Amy Wilson

Getting started on a new journey is not an easy task. Taking the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle can be especially daunting. It can feel like you need to overhaul your entire life overnight. Luckily, healthy living doesn’t have a deadline: making small, gradual changes is a great way to make healthy habits stick! Try these 5 tips if you’re looking to build healthy habits into your routine: 1. Just move! If you are living a sedentary lifestyle, getting active can seem overwhelming. However, there really is no need to rush into anything! The best kind of exercise is whatever you can regularly fit into your routine: whether that means joining a weekly class at the local yoga studio or taking a short walk during your lunch break at work. 2. Drink up It’s a well-known fact that drinking water is a vital aspect of a healthy lifestyle. This is especially important if you’re a regular coffee or tea drinker. But, if drinking enough water is a challenge for you, try switching it up by adding lemon or cucumber slices, or a sugar-free source of flavour, like our Plant-based Collagen Booster! As well, some foods with high water contents, such as watermelons, cucumbers, or lettuce, can also help you increase your fluid intake. 3. Go to bed on time An inconsistent sleep schedule can cause a variety of negative effects, from irritability and drowsiness to impaired cognitive skills. By sticking to the same schedule every night, you allow your body to regulate your circadian rhythm (that’s your body’s internal clock), for a more consistent and restful sleep. Getting used to a new sleep-wake cycle is challenging. Try gradually adjusting your bedtime and wake-up time until you get used to your new schedule. 4. Remember to breathe Practicing meditation regularly is a great way to decrease stress, increase focus, and control anxiety, among other benefits. It can be done anywhere and there are many different styles and approaches, making it easy to adapt to your unique lifestyle and preferences. Luckily, there are many apps available for curious beginners and veterans alike! 5. Practice gratitude Taking the time to reflect about your day and record your thoughts and feelings can be quite therapeutic in and of itself. Likewise, acknowledging and giving thanks for the positive things in life has been shown to have long-term beneficial effects for your mental and physical health. Writing down a few sentences or a short list of highlights at the end of the day only takes a few minutes and has a very real impact! If you need some help getting started, check out these gratitude journal prompts. We want to see you succeed! To share tips, see which healthy habits worked for others, and have great conversations about health, join our Facebook group.

Back in the low-fat days of the last century, consumption of dietary fat was believed to be linked to heart disease. Scientists and doctors alike were encouraging everyone to reduce their fat intake. As a result, highly processed foods where the fat had been replaced with sugar flooded the market. Fattier foods were replaced with refined grains, in the hopes that it would make North Americans healthier. What actually happened was a rapid rise in rates of obesity, diabetes, and despite predictions, heart disease (1). Fast forward to today: we are becoming more and more aware of the nuances of the dietary fat discussion and the value of dietary fat for optimal health. While the science of fat in our food and in our bodies can get a little complex, eating well and choosing the right fats for your body doesn’t have to be difficult. So is fat actually healthy? What we know now is that fat is absolutely vital to our health. Every cell in our body is surrounded by a membrane that’s made up of lipids, the building blocks of fats. Our brain cells are covered in a protective coating called myelin sheath, which is also made up of fats. Our bodies also use some fats to balance our immune system, ensure a low level of inflammation, build our sex hormones, and regulate our appetites. An absence of adequate dietary fat can result in a disruption of some or all of those bodily functions. So, for most people, there are a lot of health benefits to eating fat. Are there any “bad fats”? We do have to be considerate of the type of fat we are eating. Fat is a calorically dense food, which means that you get a lot of calories from a small amount of fat. If you choose the “right” kind of fat, that calorically dense food will also become nutrient dense; chock-full of vitamins A, E and K, minerals, and electrolytes needed to keep your body healthy, as well as lots of lipids that your body will use to keep your cells happy. The source of your fat does matter; the one thing that 20th century nutrition scientists did get right is that trans fats are bad for us - they do actually increase our risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, and increase general systemic inflammation (2). The World Health Organization now considers all trans fats to be harmful for health, and recommended that they make up no more than 0.9% of a person’s diet (3). Trans fats are found in trace amounts in meat and milk fat, and in large amounts in many packaged and processed foods, anything “hydrogenated”, and almost all deep fried products. Saturated fats are not anywhere near as unhealthy as trans fats, but do need to be consumed in small amounts. They're primarily found in meat, butter, lard and coconut oil - any of the fats that are solid at room temperature. Most nutrition experts recommend limiting your consumption of saturated fats to about 10% of your daily caloric intake. What are the best healthy fats? Based on our current understanding of nutrition science, the healthiest fats are those that are naturally occurring. They can be found in fatty fish, like salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, and plants, like avocados, nuts, seeds, and coconut. Coconut has recently hit the spotlight as a great source of healthy fats, especially for people who are following a ketogenic diet, or looking to boost their energy through the day. Coconut is an especially beneficial source of healthy fats because it’s a source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). MCTs are a specific type of fat molecule that is easily absorbed by the body and can be used quickly as fuel by our cells. Extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil is a great option for baking or cooking, because of its high smoke point. However, it is a saturated fat, so it needs to be consumed in moderation. Pure MCT oil is made by extracting the MCTs from coconut oil, and is a liquid at room temperature. It’s lower in calories than coconut oil, and there are many studies showing that it may have a positive impact on weight management, appetite control, digestive health and leaky gut, support brain health, manage blood sugar, and even promote heart health (4,5,6,7,8,9). Getting a small amount of healthy fats in your diet is one of the keys to achieving and maintaining good health. Coconut and MCT oil are a great option for most people. MCT oil can now easily be found in many products, including in powder form, which makes it super easy to blend into your morning coffee or smoothie. They can also act as a replacement for dairy-based creamers or chemical-laden coffee whitener products. The bottom line A healthy meal contains three things: healthy protein, healthy fibre, and healthy fat. Adding in some avocado to your morning smoothie, throwing some walnuts and sunflower seeds into your salad at lunch, and adding some MCT oil into your afternoon matcha latte are all great ways to ensure you’re getting the right amount of healthy fats, and eating healthy, well-balanced meals. References Dehgan, M., Mente, A., Zhang, X., Swaminathan, S., Li, W., Mohan, V. Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. (2017). The Lancet, 390(10107):2050-2062. Teegala, S., Willet, W., Mozaffarian, D. Consumption and health effects of trans fatty acids: a review. (2009). International Journal of Analytical Science, 92(5):1250-1258. WHO Scientific Update on trans fatty acids (TFA). (2009). European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(2). St-Onge, M., Bosarge, A. Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87(3):621-626. Kinsella, R., Maher, T., Clegg, M. Coconut oil has less satiating properties than medium chain triglyceride oil. (2017). Physiology & Behaviour, 179:422-426. Rial, S., Karelis, A., Bergeron, K., Mounier, C. Gut microbiota and metabolic health: the potential beneficial effects of a medium chain triglyceride diet in obese individuals. (2016). Nutrients, 8(5):281. Reger, M., Henderson, S., Hale, C., Cholerton, B., Baker, L., Watson, G., Hyde, K., Chapman, D., Craft, S. Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate on cognition in memory-impaired adults. (2004). Neurobiology of Aging, 25(3):311-314. Eckel, R., Hanson, A., Chen, A., Berman, J., Yost, T., Brass, E. Dietary substitution of medium-chain triglycerides improves insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in NIDDM subjects. (1992). Diabetes, 41(5):641-647. Marten, B., Pfeuffer, M., Schrezenmeir, J. Medium-chain trigclycerides. (2006). International Dairy Journal, 16(11):1374-1382.