Little Lies That Can Ruin Your Heart Health

Is it so bad to have a second piece of cake or to skip a week of exercising when you feel overwhelmed by work, kids, life? The experts say no, as long as you don’t convince yourself it’s always okay. “We all need an occasional break from being ‘good,’” says psychologist Carol Kauffman, Ph.D.

But if rationalizing that you can be “bad” here and there becomes a pattern, it can sabotage all your stay-well efforts. To keep your ticker on track for the long run, be aware of these five common little lies about heart health.

My “bad” cholesterol is high, but I don’t have to worry because my “good” cholesterol is high, too.

Reality Check: “A really high LDL (bad) cholesterol reading can outweigh the benefits of high HDL (good) cholesterol,” says cardiovascular researcher Dr. Christie Mitchell Ballantyne. LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 and HDL cholesterol should be 60 or higher–preferably in the 80s. “The further you are from that optimal LDL level, the less likely a high HDL will protect you,” Dr. Ballantyne says.

Solution: To lower LDL cholesterol, eat lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nonfat dairy and lean protein. One study found that adding plant foods to a low-saturated fat diet lowered LDL more than simply cutting saturated fat alone. And don’t cut out all fats: Eliminating unsaturated fats can cause both good and bad cholesterol to drop. Aim to get about 20 to 25 percent of your calories from unsaturated fats like olive and canola oil and less than 5 to 6 percent from saturated fat, which is found in meat and dairy.

I don’t have to work out — chasing my kids around is enough.

Reality Check: If you spend an hour or so a day running after your kids, you are getting a modest calorie burn, an immune system boost and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But more intense, sustained movement lasting 30 minutes or more is what provides the maximum health and weight-loss benefits, says Heather Fink, RD

Solution: Transform kid duty into exercise. If you typically stroll in the park with your 2-year-old, for example, pick up the pace and try to log in 30 minutes. And while your child naps or plays, strength-train at home. Build a workout around push-ups, lunges, walking lunges, squats, calf raises and tricep dips. “Try to do 8 to 12 reps and two sets of each exercise,” Fink says. You can also use home equipment such as resistance bands and hand weights.

I can have two glasses of red wine — research shows it’s heart healthy.

Reality Check: One drink a day can slightly reduce your chances of heart disease. But make that two glasses daily and your breast cancer risk can rise 25 percent. Your odds of ovarian and esophageal cancer go up as well, according to the Cancer Institute. Plus, one study found that women who had two to four drinks a day took in nearly 30 percent more calories overall than nondrinkers.

Solution: Keep tabs on how much you’re pouring. Experts consider four ounces equals one serving — about one-fourth to one-half of a big goblet. To get more mileage out of your one glass, “Drink it when it really matters to you,” says psychologist Robert Rhode, Ph.D. “Decide whether you prefer it as an aperitif or if you’d savor it more with your dinner.”

I can get by on five hours a sleep a night.

Reality Check: Skimping on sleep is unavoidable every once in a while, but regularly getting fewer than seven hours a night will make you moody, irritable and less productive. “Sleep debt makes multitasking and the ability to focus more difficult,” says neuroscientist Clete A. Kushida, MD, director of the Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research.

The heart health consequences are pretty steep too. Getting less than seven hours of sleep each night can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which is one of the leading risks for heart disease and stroke. Moreover, being a sleep underachiever can lead to weight gain. People who typically get five hours a night also have 15 percent higher levels of ghrelin, a hormone that can stimulate appetite, than those who get eight hours, according to researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of heart disease by increasing blood pressure, LDL cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Excess weight also makes your heart work harder to send blood to all the cells in your body.

Solution: If you feel like nodding off whenever you’ve got quiet time, such as on a train ride or a long movie, you need more zzzzs. To get more sleep, try to go to bed a bit earlier each night until you can insure a solid seven hours before it’s time to get up and face the day. Don’t eat right before bed, limit your alcohol intake and make sure you’re sleeping in a dark, quiet place. No screens.

I’m not overweight. I’m just big-boned.

Reality Check: It might be hard to hear, but if your body-mass index (BMI), a measure of fat based on height and weight, is 25 or higher, you may need to lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight to optimize your health, Dr. Ballantyne says. Bone mass only makes up 4 to 7 percent of your total weight, and that’s considered too small to affect BMI.

Solution: To see where you weigh in, calculate your BMI at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm, the web site for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. If the results show you need to trim down a bit to be more healthy, do some homework about healthy, mindful eating, look for support in your community and know that change happens slowly to be sustainable.