Cardiovascular Health on Big10 Health

1. Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods and Control Your Insulin Levels

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods and Control Your Insulin Levels

Use a continuous glucose monitor at home or blood testing from your healthcare provider to identify food and lifestyle choices that are spiking your blood sugar (and thus potentially your insulin levels) so that you can make adjustments to what you eat and the timing of your meals.

Why should you care about insulin and blood glucose?

There is growing evidence that high levels of insulin (hyperinsulinemia) may (along with other factors such as genetics) contribute to elevated risk for all four of our primary threats (cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer and of course, metabolic disease) due to the inflammatory nature of insulin. There is evidence that what we eat (ultra-processed foods and a diet high in refined sugars) in combination with how frequently we eat leads to hyperinsulinemia and thus exposes us to a whole host of risks (see references below).

4. Monitor Your Heart Health

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Monitor Your Heart Health

Check and track your blood pressure regularly. Use blood testing to monitor levels of key markers and uses scans to check for the presence of plaque buildup in your arteries.

Why should you care about heart health?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally [1] so anything you can learn about your genetic propensity to suffer from it, your current cardiovascular health, and the impact of your diet and lifestyle can help you to mitigate the risk. It’s important to note that the vascular damage that ultimately leads to incidents like a heart attack or a stroke starts long before the actual event and, despite there being a genetic aspect to this condition, there is much that can be done in terms of diet, lifestyle and exercise. In fact, should you find out that you do have a higher genetic risk, then knowing that makes it even more important to take early action and make long-term changes.

5. Design Your Personal Supplement Stack Informed by Blood Testing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Design Your Personal Supplement Stack Informed by Blood Testing

Further improve your diet by including key supplements to reach the optimum levels and make up for the deficiencies found in the modern world. Periodically, use a blood testing service to check and monitor your levels.

Although there is no substitute for a healthy diet that avoids ultra-processed foods supplements have a role to play in making up for deficiencies caused by modern lifestyles and farming practices. Supplements can also support your training performance, sleep, recovery, gut health, heart health, and longevity. However, there is little point in taking supplements blindly. You need to have your blood tested and design a supplement stack tailored to your own specific needs.

Want to look at the science later but, right now, you are just interested in some actions to take?

6. Monitor Your Body Composition with Specialist Scanning

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Monitor Your Body Composition with Specialist Scanning

Use DEXA scans to measure your visceral fat, lean muscle mass, and bone density so that you can reduce the risk of metabolic disease and increase your healthspan.

Body composition scanning provides key information on the levels of visceral fat you are carrying (which is a significant contributor to metabolic disease). These scans also provide an accurate measurement of your lean muscle mass, which is a key marker for longevity.