Whoever coined the phrase, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” may have been onto something bigger than he or she had intended. We can now authoritatively state that this pathway applies to women and children as well and it may just not be what you are thinking. The kitchen may not only get you a life-partner, it may also determine your heart health.
29th September was World Heart Day and as usual it was marked with events worldwide to draw attention to the crippling effect of heart diseases and related blood vessels on human life. Men over the years have been known to be at a high risk for heart diseases but for the first time this year has been tagged “the year of cardiovascular disease prevention among women and children”. Cardiovascular diseases affect as many women as men, but the risk among women is seriously underestimated. Heart disease is actually the number one killer of women in the world, causing 1 in 3 female deaths. In 2008, cardiovascular diseases claimed 17.3million lives. Contrary to popular belief 4 out of 5 of these deaths occurred in low and middle income countries and men and women were equally affected. Why? The high income countries often have the skill and technology to keep the victims alive.
Children are vulnerable too. Their risk for these diseases can begin before birth, during foetal development and may even increase exponentially during childhood with exposure to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise, smoking and alcohol consumption. Poor children, they have no control over their mother’s eating habits yet they start paying for this even before they can catch a glimpse of what this world looks like. An undernourished mother and an over nourished one both place their unborn child at risk of cardiovascular disease. The mother is also at risk from this poor eating pattern. It is becoming increasing clear that the food you prepare in your kitchen or fail to prepare may not only kill you, it may be the cause of the woes of your yet to be born child.
I hate to think that we put such a strain on children; not only do they have to cope with the emotional burden of living with a parent suffering from a cardiovascular disease; they may also lose a parent or even both from this evil. Then they will also have to deal with cardiovascular disease of their own. We compete to feed our children with diets with useless calories (sugar laden) and diets high in bad fats. In addition to “cooking” cardiovascular diseases in our kitchens we have also created a society where it is fashionable to avoid physical activity; computer games reign supreme and children sit for hours behind a desk supposedly studying. We finally complete the kill by filling our environment with secondhand tobacco smoke.
We all know the risk factors for heart disease and strokes but I will list them once again:
1. HYPERTENSION
2. DIABETES
3. HIGH CHOLESTEROL
4. SMOKING & EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
5. OVERWEIGHT OR OBESITY
6. INADEQUATE INTAKE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
7. INADEQUATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (lack of exercise)
There is certainly good news, 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes are preventable. Healthy diet, regular exercises and not using tobacco products (includes passive smoking) are the keys to prevention.
The theme for World Heart Day for both 2011 and 2012 has been ONE WORLD, ONE HOME, ONE HEART. We certainly have to agree with that; heart health certainly begins at home and for sure our cooking pot in the kitchen is the first port of call.
Let’s protect our children from heart disease; encourage the introduction of daily physical activity sessions in school, let’s discourage the sale or even the presence of coloured water laden with sugar and being paraded as nutritious drinks. Encourage children to eat less salt and oil but rather more fruits and vegetables. Beware of the danger “hiding” in many snacks. We will face resistance from the little ones but if we are serious about reducing the death toll especially in developing countries then we have no option but to adopt these measures.
As always LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND MAKE YOUR KITCHEN HEART FRIENDLY!!

Source:

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Moms’ Health Club
(dressel@healthclubsgh.com)


*Dr Essel is a medical doctor and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy and fitness nutrition.
Thought for the week – “Heart disease does NOT discriminate. It can hit anyone regardless of age, gender, race, social class or economic status BUT you have far more control over your heart health than you may realize.”
Reference:
1. World-heart-federation.org
2. WHO website
3. Mayo Clinic – Essential Heart Guide 2012.