Strive to keep your resting heart rate low

In 2014, former physical-training instructor Daniel Green was in for a shock when, at age 81, he went to his doctor in Sussex. His resting heart rate was 36 beats per minute. The doc took it again, and it was down to 26 BPM, one beat lower than the all-time low entered in the Guinness World Records. Green credits walking an hour every morning, using the elliptical regularly and lifting weights.

While you don’t need to bring your BPM down to one beat every three seconds, if you have a high resting heart rate, it’s a good idea to lower it.

One study of men ages 40 to 59 found that an RHR of 81 to 90 (as opposed to an RHR of 65 to 80) doubled the chance of death over the course of the 16-year study, while an RHR higher than 90 tripled it. A high RHR also increased the chance of heart attack, and recent studies have found that elevated RHR is associated with an increased risk of death in patients with colorectal, pancreatic and non-small cell lung cancer, as well as being predictive of colon cancer recurrence.

Ask your doc what your ideal RHR is based on your age and gender. If you need to bring it down, try the following: 10 minutes of mindful meditation daily, stay well-hydrated, limit alcohol intake, shoot for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, take 10,000 steps a day and get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly.

One bite may be one too many

A new study published in Nature shows that downing one high-fat, high-sugar milkshake made with whole milk, heavy whipping cream and ice cream can cause remodeling of red blood cells so that the 25 trillion of them in your body become small, spiky barbs and you have increased levels of an enzyme that damages blood vessels and increases inflammation. Plus, white blood cells that scavenge damaged red blood cells become bloated, and your plasma becomes thick, off-color and filled with lipids. Quickly, that may destabilize plaque and cause a heart attack or stroke. From just one serving!

Eating high-fat meals day after day changes the temporary assault on your arteries to a chronic attack, risking cardiovascular problems like heart attack and stroke, impotence and wrinkles.

The Mediterranean diet, with small portions of fish, minimal meats and a focus on fruits and veggies, whole grains and heart-loving odd omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids in olive oil and nuts keeps RBCS healthy.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.