Published: February 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Kondria Woods
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Love is in the air, and it’s high season for sharing your heart with your special sweetie. Before the whispering of “sweet nothings” begins in earnest, it’s a good idea to be a little selfish and do something special for your own heart. Talk Greenville spoke with some local experts and gathered these tips for heart health. It’s the best advice for making sure you’re able to stick around and celebrate Valentine’s Day for many years to come!

1. Don’t just sit there — get up and exercise!

“The risk of dying is decreased with exercise,” said Dr. Tom Oliver, director of cardiovascular risk reduction at the Vascular Health Institute at Greenville Hospital System. Oliver is board certified in internal medicine, nephrology and vascular medicine. “Exercise is an essential component of weight management and preventing obesity. It improves the blood sugar, which controls the development of diabetes. It decreases blood pressure, improves blood fats, increases triglycerides and raises HDL, which is the ‘good cholesterol.’ The reduction of stress has to be emphasized, especially around Valentine’s Day, and for avoiding long-term physiological consequences.”

Vered Kantor, founder of Clinical Dietitians and Nutrition Consultants, added, “As a clinical dietitian who specializes in disease prevention and wellness coaching, exercise plays an extremely important part in my nutrition counseling. I am an avid walker, and physical activity is what we do as a family. To make it a lifestyle, you have to start early with kids — setting an example is the best thing parents can do. Physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and most Americans are not physically active enough to reap the health benefits.”

A self-professed “workout addict,” Oliver said he “literally starts the day on the right foot.”

“Early morning exercise is least likely to be interrupted,” he said. “It happens before the phone begins ringing and there are fewer excuses, like going to the gym and seeing someone in my favorite parking space. You have to make exercise a priority, and the American Heart Association recommends 30 to 60 minutes of daily rigorous activity. Walking is the most accessible activity, and it’s cheap and free. Just get started, exercise daily and do something.”

2. Treat your heart to good nutrition

“The saying ‘you are what you eat’ still rings true,” said Donna Lastra, vice president of heart and vascular services at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. “Although genetics plays a very strong role in the incidence of heart disease, many people with coronary heart disease have a checkered history with food. They may have eaten a few too many pizzas and french fries, perhaps, and not quite enough grains, fruits and vegetables. If you can relate to this, there is time to turn food into an ally.

“A healthy diet can go a long way toward preventing a heart attack — and it might even help clear your arteries. ‘Healthier fats’ really can help protect your heart. The best ones are monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, canola oil and some nuts. These fats actually reduce your LDL cholesterol level and slow the progression of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats — found in corn oil, soybean oil and many margarines — also reduce LDL cholesterol, but they may worsen coronary heart disease by making the remaining cholesterol ‘stickier.’ Omega-3 fatty acids — found in fatty fish such as salmon and some fish oil — may help to lower your cholesterol and actually benefit your heart.”

“As a registered dietician and a certified diabetic educator, my first priority is to keep my patients safe,” said Cynthia L. Thomas, a clinical nutritional specialist with the Greenville Hospital System. “If you think of your heart every day — exercise and eat right by cooking at home — good nutrition should be a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. Raw fruits and vegetables are better than cooked because they have more fiber. Eat lots of leafy greens and work on getting your vitamins and minerals through food and not just vitamin supplements. With meat, go for the lean cuts, and pick one day a week to go meatless with beans and tofu dishes.”

3. Try some TLC

“You’ve heard of TLC — tender loving care? I tell my patients to focus on therapeutic lifestyle changes,” Oliver said. “Americans are looking for the cure-all pill. Make a commitment to changing your lifestyle before you have to seek out medication.”