January 27, 2005

Prairie Fare: Pay Attention to Your Heart in February

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

Make a fist. Take a look at it. That’s the size of your heart.

Think how hard your heart works, pumping oxygen and nutrients around your body, day in and day out. On average, your heart beats 100,000 times per day.

In February, American Heart Month, think about ways to keep this hard-working group of muscles strong and healthy. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among men and women of all ages.

Women are more likely to ignore the warning signs of heart attacks. The signs of a heart attack aren’t always “dramatic,” as in the movies, where an actor might grab his chest and fall to the floor.

The classic warning signs of a heart attack are uncomfortable pressure, fullness or pain in the center of the chest, pain that spreads to shoulders, jaw, neck or arms, and/or lightheadedness, fainting, sweating or shortness of breath. Sometimes, stomach or abdominal pain, nausea or dizziness without chest pain, unexplained anxiety, weakness, fatigue, cold sweat or paleness can indicate an impending heart attack. If you notice these symptoms in yourself or others, don’t ignore them. Call 911.

Could you be at risk for heart disease? Answer these 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?
• Are you physically inactive?
• Are you 45 or older?
• Do you have a history or family history of heart disease (father or brother stricken before age 55; mother or sister stricken before age 65)?

Some risk factors, such as age and family history, are beyond our control. Others, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, can be managed. Get regular checkups and follow your health-care provider’s advice.

Some risk factors, such as smoking, activity level and diet, are within our control. For example, at least 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity keeps our hearts strong.

Make your diet healthier by adding more colorful fruits and vegetables and hearty whole grains to your plate and trimming saturated fat and sodium. The “DASH” diet, short for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” has received a lot of attention. This heart-healthy diet is high in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. A handout is available at this Web site: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/.

Here’s a recipe from the “DASH Oregon” Web site. For more recipes, visit www.oregondairycouncil.org/dash_site/cookbook/.

Acapulco Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas
2 c. canned enchilada sauce
1 8-oz. can unsalted tomato sauce
3 c. diced cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 c. sliced black olives
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
1/2 c. grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 c. chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften tortillas by wrapping in wax paper and microwave for 1/2 to 2 minutes or by wrapping in foil and warming in a conventional oven for 10 minutes. Mix enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Mix chicken, olives and almonds with about 1/2 cup sauce to moisten. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken mixture down the center of each warm tortilla. Roll and place seam side down in a 9-by-13 baking dish. When all are in place, cover with remaining sauce and grated cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes. Before serving, spoon yogurt down the center of dish and sprinkle with green onions.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving has 475 calories, 13.5 grams of fat, 40 grams of carbohydrate, 4.7 grams of fiber and 42 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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