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Your Guide to Heart Healthy Living
Spring 2003 Articles:
What's the Heart
Healthy Way to Lose Weight?
According to two recently published Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention studies, Americans are fatter than ever – despite spending millions
of dollars on diets, exercise machines, pills and potions that promise to melt
pounds away. In fact, nearly a third of Americans are now classified as obese.
 “That’s
very troubling because being overweight significantly raises the risk for heart
disease and other chronic health problems including hypertension, diabetes and
some forms of cancer,” says Laurence Sperling, MD, Director of the Emory
Heart Center’s HeartWiseSM Risk Reduction Program.
If you need to lose weight, it’s understandable you may be confused by
all the hype about the best diets. First, high-
carbohydrate and low-fat diets were touted as the best approach for health
and weight loss. More recently, low- carbohydrate, high-fat diets have been
making news. What really works?
According to Dr. Sperling, there’s no magic way to lose weight –
instead, pounds will come off if you make informed, heart healthy choices about
what you eat and if you also find ways to increase your physical activity.
“Both sides in the low-carbohydrate and low-fat debate have some good
points,” Dr. Sperling says. “What’s important is to recognize
that not all carbohydrates and not all fats are the same – some are good
for you, some are not so good and some increase your risk for obesity and heart
disease.”
For example, Dr. Sperling points out that a healthy diet should emphasize mono
and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts, soy and fish. Not only can these fats
help keep your appetite under control, they can lower LDL (bad cholesterol).
A diet high in saturated fats, found in fatty
meats and dairy products, however, raises the risk of blockages in your blood
vessels and can lead to heart disease.
“It’s also important to read labels and steer clear of processed
foods that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats,” says Dr.
Sperling. He explains that vegetable oils are sometimes hydrogenated to harden
them into solids or semi-solids. “This transforms healthy oils into an
unhealthy form of fat called trans-fat that raises levels of bad cholesterol
and decreases levels of good cholesterol.”
 Basic
carbohydrates in any healthy diet should come primarily from vegetables and
fruits, not from refined arbohydrates such as white bread and sugar, Dr. Sperling
adds. A bonus to eating the healthy
carbohydrates: you’ll be consuming more fiber which can help lower bad
cholesterol and lower the risks of several health problems, including colon
cancer. “Complex carbohydrates also tend to be more filling and can help
curb hunger,” Dr. Sperling notes.
What’s the best way to start a heart healthy weight reduction plan?
Dr. Sperling suggests taking your typical daily meals and finding ways to
reduce portions and replace saturated fats and refined carbohydrates with healthier
choices. For example, instead of snacking on cookies or a candy bar as a mid-afternoon
break, eat a few nuts or an apple. And
instead of eating red meat at almost every dinner, make an effort to have broiled
fish two or three nights a week.
“If you make these dietary changes, and you make a commitment to regular
physical activity, you’ll be on your way to healthy weight loss –
and a heart healthier lifestyle,” says Dr. Sperling.
For more information or to register for a class, call
Emory HealthConnection at 404-778-7777.
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Emory Healthcare Sets the
Pace in AHA Heart Walk Fundraising
John Fox, CEO-EHC, presents a check to the AHA
With 2,215 walkers and more than $250,000 in donations, Emory Healthcare (EHC)
ranked number one among health systems and number two among all organizations
nationally in raising funds for the American Heart Association’s (AHA)
2002 Heart Walk. Nationally, the AHA recruited 500,000 walkers and raised more
than $68 million. The Atlanta Chapter of the AHA contributed 6,000 walkers and
more than $850,000 to this total. Approximately $5.7 million of the funds raised
will support cardiovascular research at Emory, including $1.8 million raised
by AHA’s Atlanta chapter.
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HEART
HEALTHY EVENTS @ EMORY HEALTHCARE
Do You Have Early Signs of Heart Disease?
If you have lost family members to heart disease or cancer, you may also
be at risk. Give yourself peace of mind by finding out if you have the early
signs of developing these diseases. Talk to your doctor about heart and lung
scans from Emory Healthcare or call 404-778-7777 for more information.
Preventive Cardiology Clinic
Emory Heart Center cardiologists offer a comprehensive Preventive Cardiology
clinic for anyone who may be at risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
The clinic includes appropriate medical
screening and evaluation of risk factors for cardiovascular and other chronic
diseases, and the development and supervision of personal lifestyle management
plans, which may include nutrition, exercise and other types of counseling to
complement care provided by the individual’s primary-care physician.
By appointment only
1525 Clifton Road, Atlanta
Physicians: Laurence Sperling, MD;
Joseph Miller, III, MD
Nutrition Counseling
An Emory Heart Center registered dietitian works with individuals to develop
nutrition plans that emphasize the relationship between diet and health, including
the number ofods that will satisfy each individual’s needs based on health
status, lifestyle and personal preferences.
By appointment only
1525 Clifton Road, Atlanta
Counselors: Nancy Anderson, MPH, RD; Janet Lennox, MS, RD
Cost: $75 for a one-hour consult, $35 for a 30-minute consult
Exercise Counseling
An exercise physiologist develops a structured exercise program that is customized
to individual abilities and needs, including the types of exercises that are
appropriate, as well as the duration and intensity at which an individual should
exercise in order to achieve the best results.
By appointment only
1525 Clifton Road, Atlanta
Counselors: HeartWiseSM
exercise physiologists
Cost: $60 for a one-hour consult
Low-Impact Cardiovascular Water Aerobics
Thursdays, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Emory Conference Center Hotel
1615 Clifton Road
Cost: Free to HeartWiseSM Risk Reduction Program members,
$30 per month for non-members
Weight Management Program
The Emory Heart Center’s HeartWiseSM Risk Reduction Program offers an eight-
week weight management and weight- loss program. A registered dietician facilitates
the program, provides a dietary analysis and recommends an optimal diet for
each participant based on the individual’s three-day food diary. Classes
meet once weekly for approximately one hour, including weigh-in.
Supervised Walking Program
The Emory HeartWiseSM Risk Reduction Program’s supervised walking class
enables participants to learn about the importance of warm-up and cool-down,
stretches and the progression of a walking program. An exercise physiologist
completes an appropriate health screening for each participant, develops a personalized
walking program and leads a six-week group walking class. In some cases, medical
clearance is required to enroll. Classes meet once weekly, approximately 30
minutes before the weight management class.
Begins March 13, 6 p.m.
1525 Clifton Road, Atlanta
Weight Management Only: $120
Weight Management and Walking Class: $200
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The following classes will be held at 1525 Clifton Road,
5th Floor Conference Room
The Hidden Home Gym
Friday, March 21
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.,
11:15 a.m. - noon
Speaker: Sony’A Scandrick
Organic Food: Is It Better?
Friday, March 28
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.,
11:15 a.m. - noon
Speaker: Miriam Summers
Benefits of Water Aerobics
Friday, April 4
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.,
11:15 a.m. - noon
Speaker: Jenny Jones
Coping Mechanisms for Stress
Wednesday, April 9
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.,
11:15 a.m. - noon
Speaker: April Stermole
Arthritis: Benefits of Exercise
Wednesday, April 16
8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.,
11:15 a.m. - noon
Speaker: Mimi Donley
Women’s Nutrition: 10 Tips for a Healthy Diet
Wednesday, May 14
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Speaker: Nancy Anderson, RD, MPH
Q&A with an Emory Cardiologist
Wednesday, May 21
11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Speaker: Joseph Miller III, MD
Q&A with an Emory Cardiologist
Friday, June 6
11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Speaker: Laurence Sperling, MD
Summer Weight Loss Tips
Friday, June 13
11:45 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Speaker: Nancy Anderson, RD, MPH
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HeartWise Recipe
Marinated Shrimp
Recipe by Janet Farish, 1st Place 2002 Heart of Gold Games
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Wishbone “Just 2 Good” Italian Herb Salad Dressing
- 4 ounces salad or other mild vinegar (not Balsamic)
- 1 pound medium shrimp (32 count), cooked and peeled
- 1 onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
- 1 4-oz can whole button mushrooms, drained
- 1 14-oz can whole small artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 small can black olives, drained
- Additional black pepper to taste
Method:
Put all ingredients in deep bowl and refrigerate overnight. Mix or invert gently
to avoid breaking up artichoke hearts.
Serving Size: 3 oz. (yields approximately 8 servings)
Per serving:
Calories: 60 (4 shrimp or 2 oz.)
30 (vegetables)
30 (dressing)
120 calories per serving
Sodium: 290 mg
Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Do you have a HeartWise recipe to share?
Send it to us, and maybe you’ll see it published in the next HeartWise
newsletter or on our Web site. Our HeartWiseSM registered dietician will evaluate
selected recipes and choose one to share with our readers. Please include the
following information:
- Contact information (name, address and telephone number)
- Complete list of ingredients and directions for preparation
- Number of servings or amount yielded from the recipe
Mail to:
HeartWise editor
101 W. Ponce de Leon Ave, Ste. 363
Decatur, Georgia 30030
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