Enrich's Guide to Eating and Sleeping for a Happy Heart

Your heart is a tireless organ, keeping you alive and well for all of life’s ups and downs. Here at Enrich, we want to help you to nurture your heart’s health through mindful and conscious choices, as the food we eat plays a pivotal role in its wellbeing. In Enrich’s guide to Eating for a Happy Heart, we will delve into habits that support and promote cardiovascular health. We will explore heart-healthy dietary approaches known to improve cholesterol, lower blood pressure and enhance your overall cardiac health. We also want to inform you of how our sleep impacts our heart health too. We hope this guide will answer any questions you have about the impact diet can have on your heart health and empower you to cultivate habits that have a positive effect on the future.

How does the food I eat affect my heart health?

There are several mechanisms by which our diet can have a positive or negative effect on our heart health.

Firstly, let’s talk about cholesterol. This molecule has many essential roles within the body, including making up our cells, producing hormones and helping to synthesise vitamin D. Broadly speaking, we can divide cholesterol into two types – LDL, often referred to as ‘bad’ cholesterol, and HDL ‘good’ cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can contribute to atherosclerosis (build of plaque in artery walls), increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, while HDL cholesterol helps to remove excess cholesterol from the blood stream. The balance of these types of cholesterol is determined by the types of fat we consume.

Secondly, we must consider blood pressure. High blood pressure can damage our artery walls over time, making them more susceptible to atherosclerosis. It can also increase strain on the heart, as the heart must work harder to circulate blood around the body. While several lifestyle factors such as smoking, stress levels and exercise influence our blood pressure, we can also raise or lower it by the foods we eat.

Okay that all makes sense, what can I eat to nourish my heart?

Overall, your diet should be made up of fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, lean sources of protein, and unsaturated fats.

Getting our 5 a day (and more if possible) can have huge benefits for our heart health. The fibre contained within fruits and vegetables can help to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol, as well as reducing blood pressure. They also contain vitamins and minerals, such as potassium, magnesium and antioxidants, which can help to counteract the effects of high sodium intake. Again wholegrains, these foods contain high levels of fibre, which has been shown to reduce both cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Fibre also slows sugar absorption by cells, helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. Lean proteins help to keep us fuller and satisfied for longer and contain low levels of saturated fat. Unsaturated fats primarily come from plant sources. They are found in nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocados, and can help to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body. They also can increase levels of HDL cholesterol, as well as reducing inflammation. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and 6, are those mainly found in oily fish. These are particularly beneficial for our health, as they reduce blood triglyceride levels, improve blood flow, and regulate inflammatory responses.

What should I eat less of?

Saturated fats essentially have the opposite effects of those seen with unsaturated fats. These kinds of fats are found mainly in animal products, such as beef, pork, butter, and cheese. Excess consumption of saturated fat has been associated with raised levels of LDL in the body, which over time can contribute to the build-up of plaque in the arteries.

The other main consideration with diet and heart health is sodium. Sodium, which we consume through salt but is also present in foods like processed meats, canned foods, sauces like gravy or soy sauce and pre-made meals, can contribute to raised blood pressure. Sodium is essential to help our kidneys in controlling the water in our blood, but when we consume too much, it causes the body to hold onto water in the bloodstream, thus increasing blood pressure.

What are the main health risks associated with poor heart health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a blanket term for conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels. There is not one single cause of CVD, but instead several factors combine to impact your cardiovascular health. Some of these risk factors are non-modifiable, such as age, gender, or family history. However, there are several modifiable factors that can make a significant positive impact if they are addressed. These include cholesterol levels, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking. It is important to look at the diet as a whole, as no one specific food or nutrient is responsible for your heart health. Overall, we want to emphasise eating foods which are known to be cardio-protective and reduce the amounts of foods which can have an adverse effect on our heart’s health.

Is there anything else I need to consider for having a healthy and happy heart?

Sleep is critical to our heart health and has a huge role in weight regulation. Not getting enough hours of sleep affects our hunger and satiety hormones (leptin and ghrelin). This disruption leaves our brains under fuelled and so, tends to lead to us to crave foods high in calories like biscuits, burgers, chips etc. which leads to weight gain.

Sleep is also vital for regulating our blood pressure. Our blood pressure naturally lowers whilst we sleep. Sleeping less than 6 hours has been found to cause increases in blood pressure in individuals.