The Heart-Healthy Trio: Diet, Exercise, and Mental Well-Being

When it comes to heart health, most people focus on diet and exercise—but did you know that mental well-being plays a role too? In this insightful conversation, we explore the impact of food choices, physical activity, and stress management on cardiovascular health. From the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet to the importance of daily movement and managing anxiety, this discussion offers practical tips to help seniors (and everyone!) take better care of their hearts. Whether you're looking for simple lifestyle changes or expert-backed advice, this interview has you covered!

Transcript starts here:

What role does diet play in maintaining a healthy heart?

Are there specific foods you would recommend avoiding or adding to a diet?

Diet is really at the forefront of maintaining heart health. It impacts cholesterol levels, helps keep blood pressure in check, and reduces inflammation in the blood.

When it comes to diet, most doctors today recommend the Mediterranean Diet. You’ll often hear physicians and nurses talk about this diet because it emphasizes lean meats, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes while avoiding red meat, butter, starches like white bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes, as well as processed foods.

Another diet I often recommend is the South Beach Diet, developed by cardiologist Dr. Arthur Agatson. It is similar to the Mediterranean Diet and helps people maintain heart health by reducing unhealthy fats and processed foods.

Unfortunately, the typical American diet contains too much saturated fat. The Mediterranean and South Beach diets help steer people away from that and toward healthier choices.

Another important factor in heart health is sodium intake. Many of today’s foods are packed with salt, so we recommend keeping sodium intake under 4 grams per day, or ideally around 3 grams (3,000 milligrams) for older adults. Checking ingredient labels while shopping or asking for a low-salt version of meals when dining out can make a big difference.

I'm assuming exercise is also important?

Oh, absolutely.

When it comes to weight loss, about 70-80% of success comes from diet, while only about 20% comes from exercise. However, exercise plays a crucial role in heart health beyond just weight loss.

Regular physical activity increases HDL (good cholesterol), which helps clean out arteries, and reduces LDL (bad cholesterol), which can clog them. Exercise also helps maintain healthy blood pressure and overall cardiovascular function.

For seniors, the best and safest form of exercise is walking. You’ve probably heard about getting 10,000 steps a day—that may be a lot for some, but any amount of walking is beneficial. Ideally, we recommend 30 to 45 minutes of walking daily. If that seems like too much, it’s okay to start small and build up over time.

We've talked about diet and exercise, but what about stress and mental health? How does that impact heart health, especially in seniors?

Mental health plays a bigger role in heart health than many people realize.

Assessing mental stress can be difficult in short office visits, but we know that factors like financial pressures, aging, family dynamics, and even daily news events can create stress and anxiety. If left unchecked, stress can raise blood pressure, disrupt sleep, and contribute to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Poor sleep patterns, in particular, can elevate blood pressure, increase cholesterol, and even lead to heart attacks. Although it’s hard to measure exactly how much stress contributes to heart disease, we know it plays a role.

That’s why many medical offices now include mental health screenings as part of regular checkups. We assess anxiety, depression, memory function, and overall mental well-being. These screenings can help patients recognize areas of concern and seek appropriate treatment, which in turn supports better heart health.

Many clinics now have specific depression screenings, conducted by medical assistants or nurses during exams. These screenings can help identify mental health concerns early, allowing patients to address them proactively and ultimately improve not just their emotional well-being but also their heart health.