Eating a heart-healthy diet is one of the best ways to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. A scientific review of more than 20 years of research suggests adding pecans to your diet can help improve cholesterol levels and, subsequently, heart health.
According to a review published by researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology, people who regularly ate pecans in snack-size portions saw improved cholesterol levels, including low-density-lipoprotein (LDL), often referred to as “bad cholesterol,” which can lead to plaque buildup in arteries (atherosclerosis). These blockages can cause arteries to harden and narrow, causing reduced blood flow to the heart and brain.
Want to improve your heart health? Eat some pecans. (Image via Getty Images)
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Researchers suggest that pecans contain compounds that can help enhance antioxidant activity. Experts advise incorporating pecans into your diet as a topper to oatmeal or cottage cheese, pairing a snack-sized portion of pecans with fruit or try making your own trail mix with dark chocolate, dried fruit and granola.
Looking for more heart-healthy tips? Keep scrolling to learn what you can do to improve your cardiovascular health.
Improve your grip strength
According to Harvard Health Publishing, grip strength was found to be a better predictor of death or cardiovascular disease than blood pressure.
Research that tracked the grip strength of adults in 17 countries found that each 11-pound decrease in grip strength was linked to a “17 per cent higher risk of dying from heart disease, a 9 per cent higher risk of stroke, and a 7 per cent higher risk of heart attack.”
In order to build muscle strength, experts recommend resistance training two or three times per week. For daily muscle building, experts say that simple things like lifting your milk carton a few times before you put it back in the fridge could help.
Get moving
A key part of staying healthy is exercising, but according to a recent report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, only about half of adults in Canada meet their weekly physical activity recommendations. When it comes to children, just over half and only two in 10 youth meet that requirement. Guidelines suggest that:
Kids aged 5 to 11 get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity per day
Youth aged 12 to 17 get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity per day
Adults aged 18 to 64 get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week
Older adults aged 65+ get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week
Exercise is crucial to reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. (Image via Getty Images)
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The most recent data, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s report, indicated Canadian adults spent an average of more than nine hours per day being sedentary. But recommendations suggest people limit their sedentary time to less than eight hours per day.
“Having a good, healthy lifestyle is really important to avoiding risk factors from developing,” Dr. Guillaume Paré, a professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., told Yahoo Canada in a previous interview. According to Paré, adults and seniors can try to get 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week.
Stop smoking
Paré, who’s also the Director of the Clinical Research Laboratory and Biobank at McMaster, said quitting smoking is key to improving your overall health. “It’s such a strong risk factor, not only for heart disease, but for a very large number of diseases and cancers and so forth.”
Canada is currently on a mission to cut tobacco use to less than five per cent nationwide by 2035, and estimates suggest good progress is being made. That’s largely attributed to more people quitting smoking in recent years, with only 11 per cent of Canadians reporting smoking in 2024.
Quitting smoking is one of the easiest ways to reduce your heart attack risk. (Image via Getty Images)
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It’s estimated that 300,000 Canadians who smoked in 2023 quit smoking in 2024. Plus, Canadian smoking rates are among the lowest in the world. But more work needs to be done.
Paré explained that he’ll treat patients at the clinic who are smokers and that he’ll remind them that health-care providers will do as much as they can to help. However, he’ll also tell them that quitting smoking would have the biggest impact on their health.
“Without hesitation, I put smoking way up there,” the board-certified medical biochemist recommended as a risk factor to cut out of your life. “The most important thing to do is quit smoking.”
Follow a Mediterranean diet
Good nutrition can also play a part in reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you’re looking to start eating healthier, consider adding more whole grains and proteins to your diet, and try eating more fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown there’s been a decline in eating produce among Canadians in recent years.
Following a Mediterranean diet can help improve heart health. (Image via Getty Images)
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Paré noted there’s a lot of information online about nutrition and diet, some of which could be considered misinformation: “My own take is that a good, balanced diet that is Mediterranean in nature is probably the healthiest.”
He also suggested avoiding refined sugars as much as possible and cutting ultra-processed foods from your diet. This is because these products — think luncheon meat, potato chips and soda — are high in saturated fat, sugar and/or salt. The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s report warned that ultra-processed foods make up roughly half of people’s daily diets in Canada.
Try to limit stress
In Canada, stress can have a dangerous impact on one’s daily routine and overall health. A recent Ipsos survey noted 38 per cent of Canadians reported feeling stressed to the point where it had an impact on their daily life at least once. The report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation added that nearly one in four Canadian adults feels most days are quite a bit or extremely stressful.
Too much stress can also lead to depression or anxiety. It can also cause higher blood pressure, which has been diagnosed in 8.2 million Canadians — and that number has been rising yearly since 2000.
One in four Canadians report feeling overwhelmed with stress. (Image via Getty Images)
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Paré admitted it can be a difficult time to relax, with so much happening in the world right now. Still, he urged prioritizing a good work-life balance and participating in activities that help us “take our mind off everything that’s stressful in life.”
That might include getting more exercise into your life, whether that’s taking up a mindful practice like yoga or making a habit of going on walks after dinner each evening. Consider also that lack of sleep — which plays a key role in our heart and brain health — can impact stress levels.
Talk to your doctor
Overall, Paré said it’s one thing to make these lifestyle changes, but it’s important to speak to your doctor or primary care advisor about your health. If you’re anxious about your risk of heart disease and stroke (or other ailments), he suggested the next step to take is to speak to an expert.
Paré also noted that people should know heart disease and stroke are preventable. Moreover, he warned that people should only get their health information from reputable sources.
“There’s so much disinformation out there regarding both the risk and the treatment and how to prevent these diseases. … Don’t get confused by noise out there on the web and really make the best decisions informed by science for your own health,” he recommended.
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