As Greater Cincinnati’s Heart Hospital, it is our responsibility to take care of all the hearts of Cincinnati, even before they are sick. See, even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women, it is also very preventable.
You likely won’t find two cardiologists more passionate about keeping you out of their office than Wojciech Mazur, MD, and Joel Forman, MD, of The Christ Hospital- Heart & Vascular Center.
Both have dedicated their careers to preventive medicine and truly believe that their patients are in control of their own destinies, and that changing the way one lives can have a huge impact on one’s health.
We sat down with both to talk about the most important advice they give their patients within these three health-forward categories: Diet, Physical Activity and Emotional Well Being.
DIET
Dr. Mazur says:
- It’s not the bad food that will kill you. It’s the LACK of good food that will kill you. If you incorporate these good foods everyday, you will live longer and happier:
- Fruits: 1 medium sized fruit (baseball size), 1h cup juice, or 1h cup of cooked or chopped fruit.
- Vegetables: 1 cup of raw vegetables, 1f2 cup of vegetable juice or 1h cup of cooked vegetables.
- Grains:1f2 cup of cooked rice, pasta or cereal, 1 slice of bread.
- Meat: 2 to 3 oz cooked lean meat or fish
- Did I mention nuts? Eat Nuts! One handful of any nuts a day can cut risk of stroke by 50%.
- The three beverages I get asked about the most are water, coffee and alcohol. Here’s some strong stats on each.
- Water. Water is best. It keeps your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissue and gets rid of waste. IOM liberally recommends a total daily water intake of 15 cups for the average male and 11 cups for the average female.
- Coffee: Rejoice! Women who drink 3 or more cups of coffee a day, decrease their risk of death from heart disease by 22% and stroke by 30%.
- Alcohol. No comment. Too many breweries around here.
Dr. Forman says:
- Limit the amount of processed foods you eat.
- Make sure you mostly eat things that come from the earth.
- If it didn’t come from the earth, make sure it had a mother that had either feathers or gills.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Dr. Mazur says:
- Stand up. A 2015 analysis concluded that prolonged sitting is associated with higher mortality rates from cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This is regardless of activity level!
- Add resistance training to your routine. Adding resistance training to a low calorie diet led to higher weight loss than cutting calories with aerobic exercise.
- Get moving! 30 minutes of exercise a day (including household chores) decreases all cause mortality by 39% and prevents 60% of dementia.
Dr. Forman says:
- Always strive to sit less.
- Tell yourself to “move more.”
- Do something for its own sake to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness for 30 minutes at least five times per week.
How to get started
Simple lifestyle changes can make a big im pact when it comes to heart health. But getting started doesn’t always feel that simple. That’s why The Christ Hospital Health Network, Dr. Mazur and Dr. Forman have resources to share with you along every step of the way.
EMOTIONAL WELL BEING
Dr. Mazur says:
- Live with purpose. Higher purpose in life plays an important role in protecting against heart attacks and strokes. Each purpose in life unit increase was associated with a 27% reduction in risk of heart attack.
- Get a dog. Owning a dog reduces the risk of death by 21%, and for people with coronary disease, 35%!
- Getting mad more than 5 times a day increases the risk of heart attack and stroke in a healthy individual by 158 times compared to 4 times for a heavy smoker over a 10 year period. Instead, use one of these relaxation techniques when you feel anger coming on: Tai Chi, meditation, yoga, transcendental meditation, contemplative prayer, and coloring books.
Dr. Forman says:
- Get plenty of sleep and exercise.
- Consider taking up meditation, yoga, or practicing mindfulness.
- Be with people you enjoy and do things that you love.
Don’t forget, throughout the month of February, we are partnering with gyms and studios around the Tristate to provide free pop-up cardio fitness classes – so there’s something for everyone! Join us for one or all the classes:
Monday, Feb. 24,6:30-8:30 p.m.
The Christ Hospital Joint & Spine Center -get your groove on at the Cardia Party-0**, an event that’s one-part workout and one part dance party, led by Curvy Cardia owner Morgan Owens, and everybody’s favorite celebrity deejay, DJ Etrayn!
Friday, Feb. 28, 10 a.m.- noon
North College Hill Rec Center- join heart survivor and instructor Nancy Wilkins for a fun and upbeat line dancing class that willbe sure to get that heart rate going.
We also we encourage you to participate in this year‘s Heart Mini Marathon Walk on Sunday, March 22, 2020! For any patients who would like to join The Christ Hospital team, please email marketing@thechristhospital.com for a patient discount code to use at registration.
About the doctors:
Wojciech Mazur, MD is a second-generation cardiologist and has been in practice with The Christ Hospital Physicians- Heart & Vascular since 2002. He specializ es in cardiac imaging (echocardiography, nuclear car diology, cardiac magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography) and clinical cardiology. He has published more than 170 research articles, books, abstracts and book chapters in the field of cardiology. Dr. Mazur sees his patients as people, not as a disease or a problem. He focuses on treating each patient well, and with dignity and respect, while learning their stories and under standing how each story ties into their health.
Joel Forman, MD, FACC, FASPC has been in practice with The Christ Hospital Physicians – Heart & Vascular since 2005. He is originally from the Cleveland area. His practice interests include preventive cardiology, echocardiography, and stress testing. He stresses the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. His personal interests include his family, fitness, athletics, music and comedy.
Resource: In 2018, Dr. Mazur and his Research Assistant, Stephanie Ambach, created Your Heart Manual, a short book featuring easy-to-understand and actionable suggestions to modify your lifestyle, backed by more than 500 research articles from the past decade. You can download a free copy online at www.YourHeartManual.Org.
Resource: Dr. Forman is the medical director of the Preventive Cardiology Program at The Christ Hospital. Through this unique program, patients work with a team of car diology specialists to make tailored lifestyle changes that will prevent heart disease or stop its progression, while improving over all wellness. Each preventive cardiology care plan includes a nutritional strategy and focused exercise program-both customized for your individual needs and goals. Our services also include stress testing and peripheral vascular disease rehabilitation.
To learn more or to schedule a consultation, call513-206-1320.