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Lifestyle Elements to Achieve a Healthy Heart
The bible insist that God wants people to cherish and take care of their bodies. The bible
says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy spirit within you, whom you
have from God You are not your own, for you have been bought with a price. So, glorify God in
your body” (ESV, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). For a person to glorify God in their body they must
offer it as a sacrifice to him, taking care of their health. That being said, car diovascular
disease is the leading cause of death in all cultures in the United States, as well as several other
countries (Cavanaugh, 2019). Heart failure or cardiovascular disease comes in many forms. It
can be caused by age, unhealthy eating, smoking, stress, diabetes, and so much more. A
widespread concern of people today is how to achieve and maintain a healthy heart. This paper
explores the many ways to achieve a healthy cardiovascular system throughout adulthood. Some
of these ways include nutrition, exercise, and emotion regulation. This study will describe the
studies examined, the participants in the studies, samples, methods, instruments, and overall,
what the findings were.
First, when examining the first study- an education program called Regulating Emotions
to Improve Nutrition Exercise and Reduce Stress (RENEwS) (Wierenga et al., 2021). The
primary purpose of this program was to improve emotion regulation in cardiac rehabilitation
patients in order to better the condition of their heart. The article explains that having poor
emotion regulation makes it challenging to change any risk factors in cardiovascular patients,
making poor emotion regulation a stumbling block to having a healthy heart. The study at hand
approached a group of individuals in a lone cardiac rehabilitation center. To qualify for the study
participants had to be 40 years of age or older, experienced a first myocardial infraction (heart
attack), or coronary artery bypass graft, lived independently, and had 12 weeks of phase two
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cardiac rehabilitation. In the end, 14 people qualified to participate in the study. The study
consisted of five weekly one-hour group sessions. During the five-week group sessions
participants were taught emotional regulation skills like becoming aware of emotions, becoming
aware of situations, changing emotional thought patterns, and many more emotion-based
regulation skills. The participants were also given homework assignments to complete at the end
of each week during their free time, as well as receiving one on one training. In the end, the
study found that having effective emotional regulation skills tremendously speeds up the
recovery process for individuals suffering from heart disease. Thus, leading to a healthier heart.
Another huge factor that pieces into a healthy cardiovascular system is nutrition.
Having unhealthy eating habits can cause serious health issues. Some health issues caused by
poor eating habits are obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes. All of these unhealthy eating habits
can cause issues with the cardiovascular system. In the article, Healthy Nutrition an Important
Part of Preventing Cardiovascular Disease, a study is conducted that insists a healthy diet
provides health benefits that ultimately lead to a heathier heart (Mihaela, 2022). The method this
study used was a specialty literature review meaning they analyze several documents that relate
to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, the elements of danger, and the influence of a
healthy diet. In researching this topic, they developed a weekly nutritional program tailored for
women 31 – 50 who are at high risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. Other experiments
were also conducted to women of the same age group over a period of 6 months. These women
were to be monitored at the beginning and the end of the six-month period. Some of the
measurements included, blood pressure, body weight, triglycerides, and cholesterol. The findings
were that females who are moderately active who wanted to reduce the risk of cardiovascular
issues developing should follow a diet of 2000 calories per day, while females who are not active
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should consume 1800 calories per day. The meal plan should include lean meats such as fish,
turkey, poultry, or lean veal. The diet should also include milk, skimmed dairy products, olive
oil, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. In making these small life changes it can
drastically prolong the life expectancy, and overall health of the individual. Poor nutrition is one
of the leading causes to heart failure. When an individual changes what they are allowing
themselves to consume daily and is more mindful they are not only avoiding heart failure, but
obesity as well.
The last article examined in this study insists that getting the proper exercise also can
prevent cardiovascular issues. This study was conducted for breast cancer patients however, the
findings are not limited strictly to breast cancer patients (Okwuosa et al., 2019). The purpose of
the study called Pre-Diagnosis Exercise and Cardiovascular Events in Primary Breast Cancer, is
to research whether or not pre-diagnosis exercise reduces the chance of cardiovascular issues
occurring in patients with breast cancer. This study consists of 4,015 participants who each
completed a self-reported questionnaire. This questionnaire assessed physical activity in their
leisure time. It assessed activities such as, walking, dancing, sports, using a machine to exercise,
swimming, and many other physical activities. The study focused on the duration of the physical
activities mentioned above, as well as the frequency and the effect they had on the patience. It
was noted that individuals who practiced regular exercising added roughly three years to their
life expectancy due to having a healthier cardiovascular system.
The articles mentioned above are similar in the fact that they all articulate the risk factors
that are involved when the cardiovascular system is not properly cared for, as well as ways to
properly care for it. In each of these articles they provide information on how to achieve a
healthier cardiovascular system. As mentioned in the articles above, exercise, nutrition and
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emotional regulation all play a significant role on achieving and maintaining a healthy heart.
With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in the United States it is important
to know how to properly care for the heart. Having a solution for maintaining a healthy heart is
also of great importance. It seems that having a healthy and balanced diet, getting adequate
exercise, and remaining as stress free as possible makes a world of difference when dealing with
the cardiovascular system.
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Reference Page
Cavanaugh, J. C., & Blanchard-Fields, F. (2019). Adult development and aging (8th ed.).
Cengage Learning.
English Standard Version Bible: ESV Study Bible. (2001). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Mihaela, B. (2022). Healthy nutrition an important part of preventing cardiovascular
diseases. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 22(8), 1948-1954.
https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2022.08247
Okwuosa, T. M., Ray, R. M., Palomo, A., Foraker, R. E., Johnson, L., Paskett, E. D., Caan, B., &
Jones, L. W. (2019). Pre-diagnosis exercise and cardiovascular events in primary
Breast Cancer: Women's health initiative. Jacc Cardio oncology, 1(1), 41-
50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccao.2019.08.014
Wierenga, K. L., Fresco, D. M., Alder, M., & Moore, S. M. (2021). Feasibility of an emotion
regulation intervention for patients in cardiac rehabilitation. Western Journal of Nursing
Research, 43(4), 338-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920949959
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