Reversing heart disease really means reversing coronary artery disease. The coronary arteries are the arteries that supply the heart muscle with the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function as a specialized pump. This “pump” will work essentially non-stop for close to 100 years (if we’re lucky). When the coronary arteries get blocked by cholesterol plaque or hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), blood flow is restricted to the region and is the eventual culprit that causes heart attacks (myocardial infarction or MI).

There are other diseases of the heart include heart failure (which is often caused by coronary disease), arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), and congenital heart disease (heart disease that you are born with); but we will focus on coronary artery disease, the #1 killer in America.

Reversing heart disease can be done by adopting a few lifestyle changes to “unclog” these arteries, hence, reversing heart disease.

How You Can Reverse Heart Disease

By adopting some simple lifestyle HABITS, we can start to reverse heart disease. Contrary to popular belief, YOU will control your health, not your genes or physician, but YOU. Try this daily health log to help you keep track of your daily progress:

1. Make HEALTH, NUTRITION and WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Use this DAILY HEALTH LOG to keep you on track and begin the process of reversing heart disease.

2. No Smoking

This isn’t the generic, “smoking is bad for you and quit” routine. There are a handful of medical conditions that are made worse by smoking and coronary artery disease is at the top of the list. Others include emphysema and ulcers, but coronary disease will only get worse in smokers. You cannot reverse heart disease if you smoke.

3. Make healthy food choices every day!

The easiest way to reverse heart disease is to include the healthiest selections from the five food groups with an emphasis on the getting your five to 10 fruits and veggies and enough fiber each day. Think WHOLE foods. Avoid processed, refined, fast foods. By changing to a cleaner diet, you are one step closer to reversing a heart disease.

Filling your grocery cart is just the beginning of the process. You want the low-fat foods you buy to stay that way until they reach your plate. Some cooking methods are guaranteed to add loads of fat to any food: Deep-fat frying is a good example. Other cooking methods help retain vitamins and minerals and keep fat and calories to a minimum. These include roasting, baking, broiling, grilling, braising, sauteing, stir-frying and microwaving. The idea is to stay away from any cooking method that adds fat or allows food to cook in its own fat. Look for techniques that enhance flavor and preserve nutrients instead. Be miserly when it comes to adding fat and sodium.

Heart disease is known by several names, it is most commonly called coronary heart disease (CHD) or coronary artery disease. Your coronary artery is one of the blood vessels designed to deliver blood to your heart. If you could see one of your attires, it would resemble a small tube. Plaque is a fatty substance that can build up in your arteries. Plaque build ups slow the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, creating a life threatening heart condition. If this build up of plaque is not corrected it can lead to a massive heart failure, or heart attack. Take a look at number 3 to see the heart disease diet.