February 2, 2006

Imagine you’re sitting on the couch at home watching TV. Suddenly your stomach hurts and you break out in a cold sweat. When you rise from the couch, you feel weak, dizzy and a little short of breath.

You may be watching a really scary movie. You might have the flu. It could be the consequences of the burrito you had for lunch.

Worst-case scenario: You could be having a heart attack.

These symptoms are little known signs of a heart attack. The classic signs of a heart attack are uncomfortable pressure or pain in the center of the chest, pain that spreads to the shoulders, jaw, neck or arms, and shortness of breath.

When in doubt, check it out. Don’t wait. Call 911 immediately. If you’re having a heart attack, the sooner you receive medical care, the better.

Don’t wait for a family member to drive you to the hospital and don’t drive yourself there. Emergency medical personnel immediately can provide treatment that could lessen the damage to your heart.

February, American Heart Month, is a good time to think about the muscular pump in your chest. Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, delivering fuel and oxygen throughout your body. It’s important to treat your heart with respect.

Some of the risk factors for heart disease are beyond our control. We can’t change our family history. We can’t do anything about our age.

Other risk factors are under our control or can be managed by lifestyle changes. Smoking, a major risk factor, is a habit that can be broken. High blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity/overweight can be managed through nutrition, physical activity and/or prescribed medications.

We make many choices every day. When we’re at the grocery store, we have hundreds of choices. All the nutrition information and health claims are there for us to see. We can ignore the information on food packages or use if for the benefit of our health.

We can choose to sit on the couch every evening, munching on chips and drinking pop. We can wave at our neighbors while they’re out for a walk or we can be motivated by them. We can put on our shoes and grab an apple on the way out the door.

Small steps can add up to major health benefits. Consider trying these heart-healthy tips.

• Have regular checkups. Know your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables of all colors. They’re high in antioxidants and fiber.
• Substitute heart-healthy oils for solid fats in cooking and baking. Look for oils high in monounsaturated fats.
• Aim for three daily servings of whole-grain foods. They’re high in antioxidants and fiber. Look for the health claim or read the ingredient labels to see if “whole grain,” “whole wheat” or “oatmeal” is the first ingredient.
• Eat more soluble fiber, the kind found in legumes, oatmeal and apples.
• Schedule time for physical activity.

Here’s a heart-healthy recipe featuring oatmeal and apples. You’ve heard what they say about apples!

Apple Crisp

5 medium apples
1/4 c. quick-cooking oatmeal
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan. Wash and remove the apple cores. Slice the apples and spread on the bottom of the pan. Cut the margarine in small pieces and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the margarine into the mixture until it forms small crumbs. Sprinkle over apples. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes eight servings. Each serving has 160 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1gram saturated fat and 28 grams of carbohydrate.

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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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