September 5, 2002

Prairie Fare: Have a Healthy Heart

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Have you thought about your hard-working heart today? It beats about 100,000 times per day, pumping nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, totaling more than 36 million beats per year. That’s a pretty efficient pump.

If our "tickers" are working, they’re easy to ignore. Risk factors for heart disease often are silent. We can’t feel blood cholesterol building deposits in our arteries. Many times high blood pressure, the "silent killer," goes undetected.

September is National Cholesterol Awareness Month. Do you know your number?

The importance of a healthy heart really hits home when someone close to us suffers a heart attack. Surprisingly, women are more likely to die from heart attacks than men. About 500,000 women and 450,000 men die yearly due to heart disease.

Do you know heart attack warning signs? Warning signs include uncomfortable pressure, fullness or pain in the center of the chest; pain that spreads to the shoulders, jaw, neck or arms; and chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating or shortness of breath.

Less apparent warning signs of a heart attack include unusual chest, stomach or abdominal pain; nausea or dizziness without chest pain; shortness of breath and difficulty breathing without chest pain; unexplained anxiety, weakness or extreme fatigue; and palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.

Compared to men, women may experience slightly different heart attack warning signs. Besides the classic warning signs, women may experience jaw or back pain or nausea and vomiting.

Women also tend to wait longer than men to call for help when they are having a heart attack. If warning signs are noted for yourself or anyone else, don’t wait. Call 9-1-1.

Are you at risk for heart disease? Consider these risk factor questions:

• Do you smoke?
• Do you have high cholesterol and/or high LDL cholesterol?
• Do you have diabetes?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Are you overweight by 20 or more pounds (according to a healthcare provider)?
• Are you physically inactive?
• Are you 45 or older?
• If female, are you post-menopausal?
• Do you have a history or family history of heart disease?

When we recognize our risk factors, we can take steps to manage them. Some risk factors are not under our control, such as age and family history. Other habits, like smoking, food choices and level of physical activity, are things we can change. For more information about heart health, visit the Web site of the American Heart Association: www.americanheart.org

Here’s a heart healthy recipe that makes use of fall’s fresh produce.

Vegetable Chowder

1/2 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. margarine
4 c. chicken broth (low-salt, if preferred)
2 medium carrots, peeled, sliced and halved (about 1 cup)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1 c. cut green beans
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. dried tarragon leaves (optional)
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In large pan over medium high heat, cook onion in margarine until tender. Add chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, green beans, parsley, tarragon (if desired) and pepper. Heat to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Makes about 8 servings. Each serving contains 160 calories, 3 grams fat, no saturated fat and 2 grams dietary fiber.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu